The Future Has Passed
by VereorFaux
Summary: The Ryumyaku was about to be sealed, but something was off. The kunai had been tainted and instead of sending them back to the future, Naruto and Yamato got stuck in the past, leaving the blond ninja in a conundrum. While he lost everything, suddenly he was capable of meeting everyone he lost again. Even his own parents. Naruto/Sara (Complete, Edited as of April 7th, 2018)
1. What I've Lost

**The Future Has Passed**

 **Chapter 1: What I've Lost**

* * *

In the face of a monstrous being, Naruto did not hesitate to crush it. Gritting his teeth through the exhaustion, forcing himself through the pain with the help of the Yondaime-lookalike. The turquoise colored chakra turned his body into a spinning missile that ripped through the hands of the humongous puppet and completely pulverized the spider-like Mukade inside.

Despite all that, Naruto knew that Roran was gone. The city above them was falling apart, the earth shaking through the cavernous underground like the wrath of the earth had been brought forth by the fight.

"Sara!" His shout was nearly muted out when another shake sent stones raining down from above. The young queen was rushing away from the center of the temple that housed the Ryumyaku after sealing away most of it. Rushing towards her, Naruto nearly stumbled as the bridge collapsed. "Grab my hand!"

She was looking forward, hope flashing in her eyes before the ground under her collapsed, sending her down. Sara tipped over, spinning through the air. She reached out, her arm stretching forward, trying to grasp Naruto's hands.

But he was too slow. The corrupted liquid full of chakra beneath would burn Sara.

He couldn't let that happen.

Though his chakra was gone, and exhaustion took over, Naruto jumped after her, his feet skidding down the broken bridge.

It was a split second. His feet held onto the platform as he grabbed her leg. Using the spin of the debris, he threw her towards Minato, who had been rushing after him. The man caught her, jumping back as the rest of the bridge collapsed. The chakra cut off and Naruto fell.

"Naruto!" Sara shouted. He grinned at her, his eyes closed as he raised a fist and followed up with a thumbs up.

He crashed into a plate of wood afterwards, gasping in pain from the fall and the fact that the kunai which Minato gave him stabbed him in the back. Still alive! Naruto's grin widened. "Captain!"

Naruto stood up, grabbing the kunai from his pocket as Yamato raised the platform. Holding his back in pain, the young man tried and failed to stand tall. "Thank you for your help, Captain! I thought I was a goner-"

He was cut off by a punch aimed at his stomach, making him keel over, about to throw up. Before he could complain about it, warm arms wrapped around him. "Are you suicidal?"

The question was much quieter than the anger from the punch would have made him expect. Sara was shaking. Slowly wrapping his own arms around her, he raised his head and looked lost. Both Yamato and Minato didn't look like they'd tell him what to do, so he just kept holding her.

"I'm sorry?" Naruto tried.

She growled. Naruto kept quiet.

"Naruto," Minato said. "Give me the kunai, I'll seal away Ryumyaku for good."

Naruto nodded, handing the kunai over. The blood on it was barely noticeable in the dark red lighting of the ruined structure. So when Minato stepped up to the middle of the temple, nobody could fault him for not catching something considering the stressful situation and exhaustion setting in.

Stabbing the kunai into the platform, Minato began the sealing process. The red lights exploded outwards and vanished into thin strands of energy. Naruto began to glow. When Sara took a step back and looked at the shinobi that saved her life, her hands were clasped together.

"The timeline is being restored," Minato said, coming down the stairs. "Thank you for your help, Captain was it?"

"Ah, it's an honor!" Yamato said, bowing. Minato scratched the back of his head nervously. "I am known as Yamato. Naruto's captain in our team."

"I'm afraid that your time here is coming to an end, Naruto, Yamato," Minato said. Sara's teeth bit down on her lower lip, glancing off, unable to meet Naruto's eyes. She opened her mouth a few times to speak, but Minato continued without missing a beat. "I should seal away the memories of everyone involved so we can avoid messing up the timeline. It would be disastrous-"

"No way," Naruto said quickly. "You said you had something to tell me!"

"One day." Minato smiled. "I'm sure we'll meet again."

Sara shook her head. "I don't want to lose my memories either. You… you really are from the future, aren't you?"

Naruto nodded, his lips drawn in a thin line as Minato prepared a seal. A loud noise interrupted them. The red light appeared again and the Ryumyaku began to leak, creating a pillar of energy that ripped through the ceiling and the sky.

Minato's eyes widened, and he spun around, trying to hold the seal in place. The light around Naruto and Yamato shattered as if it was glass, sending sparks everywhere. When Minato's hands touched the Ryumyaku's chakra, it did not stop.

Instead, the face of a fox appeared from the specks of blood that were on the Hiraishin kunai. Roaring towards the heavens, the fox face led the stream of chakra towards the sky and exploded in a shower of a billion colors.

"The… Ryumyaku is empty?" Minato asked. "That's impossible - and the Kyuubi, here? What happened?"

Yamato stared at Naruto, who was looking around. The young ninja couldn't tell what had happened.

"The Kyuubi," Yamato said. "Something might have happened with the seal - Naruto, lift your shirt."

"What?" Naruto asked, still following the order. "Why?"

Minato frowned when he saw the seal on Naruto's stomach appear. Yamato grimaced, nodding.

"It seems to be intact. Something else must've happened. What should we do, Minato-sama?" Yamato asked, turning to the future Hokage of Konoha. It was a reflex, but nobody but him had the necessary knowledge of seals to help them out anyway.

"I don't know," Minato admitted. Yamato sighed.

"What happened?" Naruto asked. They turned to him when Sara held onto him. "Guys?"

"It seems the timeline tried to fix itself, maybe we were too late with the seal, or maybe your seal messed with mine," Minato said. Naruto blinked, still unable to truly comprehend the situation. "You're fixed here. I don't think I can send you back to the future again."

The fact that the future they were coming from was gone didn't need to besaid.

Naruto tasted bile in his mouth as he fell to his knees. Sara followed, her knees scraping against the ground as she wrapped her arms around Naruto.

The strain finally became too much. Naruto passed out.

* * *

When Naruto woke up, the first thing he saw was the angular tip of a tent. His body felt fine, and he his chakra had mostly recovered. Sitting up, he took a look around, finding nothing out of the ordinary. It was a simple dark green tent. One like every other. Small, but comfortable.

Crawling out of the tent, he squinted at the sudden sunlight. The dark colors of the tent had given him no warning about the brightness outside, and he cursed under his breath as he tripped out.

And all he could see were ruins. Towers that used to pierce the sky with their height crumbled to dust and debris, soon to become sand in the desert. The Land of Wind was aptly named, eroding stones over years to create this landscape. While Naruto had never been very attentive in class, the amount of detentions he had forced him to pick something to distract himself with. Geography wasn't a very interesting class until you add in the amount of landmarks created by awesome ninjas fighting.

Now he had become one of those awesome ninjas, standing in the rubble that was his responsibility. Had he stopped the madman before he arrived in the past, all this wouldn't have happened, and Naruto would still be with his friends.

"Naruto," someone called his name. He turned around, just now noticing the hundreds of citizens of Roran behind him, huge tents set up around the crumbled city. Yamato came up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, are you alright?"

Naruto shook his head. "I… I think I messed up, captain."

"What do you mean?" Yamato asked. The older ninja felt… weird. He couldn't exactly say he was feeling sad or angry. Rather, the fact that he could go back home and meet people like the Sandaime again made him… happy. Curious.

"The Kyuubi messed up the seal, right? We can't go home, so Sai and Sakura… they're… gone?"

Naruto wasn't stupid. Incredibly straightforward and emotional, yes. Stupid? No. Stupidity, no matter how much luck one had, would simply lead to death early in their career.

"He wanted to seal our memories," Naruto said. "So nothing changed. But it did change, right?"

"Naruto…" Yamato began, but Naruto cut him off. The blond ninja balled a fist over the necklace that Tsunade gave him.

"So when it changed, that future, it's gone? Right? It's gone?" Naruto asked him in a tone that made his heart break. Yamato knew that Naruto wanted him to lie, to tell him that it's still there, just without them, so that his friends still had at least the memory of him.

"No," Yamato said. He had to be honest, because lies would only give him hope. The only one who could do that was the Yondaime, who had already informed Yamato of the sheer improbability. Naruto felt faint, yet nodded.

"Then… then we can go to this Konoha?" Naruto asked. His tone was hopeful.

"Minato-sama decided to go ahead and discuss taking the refugees of Roran into Sunagakure," Yamato explained. "If the Kazekage refuses, we might take them with us to Konoha until efforts for the rebuilt of Roran can be made. Besides those who were on the mission today and the Hokage, nobody must know of our origins."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side.

"It means we'll not arrive as Konoha shinobi, but as refugees," Yamato said. "Only the Sandaime will learn of us-"

"The old man?!" Naruto asked, his eyes lighting up. "He's- he's still alive! Yes! We can go and warn him! Orochimaru will-"

"Won't attack until at least 20 years," Yamato cut in. "We can't risk changing everything to the point where we can't predict certain things. Minato-sama agreed. Our loyalties lie with the Hokage, and he will be the only one I'll brief on the situation."

"That's… that's fair," Naruto said, biting his lower lip. "So, when will we leave?"

"When Minato-sama returns. If Sunagakure refuses, they'll immediately head towards Konoha and he will come back. It might take a while."

"So we play the waiting game until then?"

"We play the waiting game."

Naruto sighed, kicking the sand under his shoes. "I hate the waiting game."

* * *

If there's something that can make Naruto forget all worries for at least a few minutes, it would be food. The smell of homemade food danced through the camp, emanating from huge pots in the middle of the camp.

Having spent most of today resting, Naruto hasn't yet talked to any of the citizens. Walking up to them, Naruto was greeted with smiles and cheers. Young children ran up to him, grabbing him by the arms and dragging him towards the campfires.

"Naruto-sama!" one of the kids said. "Come! Come!"

Naruto was left slightly embarrassed at the honorific by the child which looked barely older than six. When they finally dragged him halfway around the pots, he was eventually forced to sit down on a blanket, stumbling backwards onto it. His hand brushed against something soft and he turned to his right, seeing Sara there, sleeping. His hand was on her hair.

"She refused to sleep in a tent," an adult said. An elderly woman holding a wooden spoon. "There simply weren't enough for all of us, and we couldn't convince her that the nights would be too cold, so we prepared the fire here."

"Ah," Naruto said. She looked worn out, bags under her eyes. She could've taken his tent, he didn't need it anyway.

"Could you wake her?" the woman said. "We're nearly done, and she hasn't eaten anything since yesterday."

"Of course," Naruto said, nodding. He put a hand on Sara's shoulder, shaking her slightly. She mumbled something incoherent before turning around, as if trying to ignore Naruto. He instead shook her slightly harder until she finally opened her eyes.

Bleary eyed and still half asleep, Sara grabbed the first thing in her vicinity. Naruto's sleeve stretched slightly as she sat up with its help, almost dragging Naruto towards her. She mumbled something else as she learned against his shoulder, shaking her head until she was finally awake. When she opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was his face right in front of hers, she jumped up with a scream.

"Naruto!" she shouted. Surprisingly, she wasn't angry at him like Sakura would have been, and instead rushed towards him checking for wounds. "Are you okay? Shouldn't you be resting? Your captain told me you woke up earlier-"

"Sara, it's alright," Naruto said. "I'm okay. I heal pretty quickly."

Trying to assure her of that, Naruto slapped his hand over his biceps and only winced slightly at the soreness in his muscles. She stopped fussing and instead sighed, looking away. The silence was broken by a rather unsophisticated tone.

Naruto grinned at her when she looked away with a red face, the loud growling of her stomach probably a reaction to the delicious smell in the air. "You're not supposed to hear that."

"I heard nothing," Naruto said. "Food's ready, you should eat."

"I'm not _that_ hungry," Sara said, crossing her arms. "Hmph."

"Maybe not, but I know better than to say no to a free meal. They told me to wake you up for dinner."

"Thank you, Naruto," Sara said.

"You're welcome."

"No," Sara began, shaking her head. She was still not looking him in the eye. "I mean… thank you, for all you've done. And I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Because of me, everything went awry," Sara said. "If I wasn't such a weak queen, this wouldn't have happened and you could still be back home with your friends."

"It's not your fault," Naruto said, his voice taking on an edge of seriousness. "I don't want you blaming yourself. Yamato told me, there's too many things that could've gone wrong, but Mukade wasn't your responsibility."

"I still feel responsible. The city is in ruins because of my mistakes."

A wooden spoon hit Sara over the head before it found Naruto's as well. The elderly lady from before was frowning at them. No respect for the royalty of her country, the lady just told them off. "No blame shifting at the dinner table. Queen Sara, eat."

She shoved a bowl into Sara's hands, the steaming soup inside filled with meat and vegetables. Sara didn't dare to talk back, nor did her stomach, as she began eating. Naruto received his bowl next, noticing his hunger just then. Spoon after spoon full of soup were quickly going down his throat, warming him even more than the campfire. A cold wind blew through the desert night, making Sara shiver.

Taking off his jacket, Naruto put it around her, shivering only slightly at the cold. She turned to him, frowning.

"You're still hurt, I don't need it," she said.

Naruto shook his head. "You do, if you're going to sleep outside. Anyway, you shouldn't sleep outside! It's unhealthy!"

"There's not enough tents until Minato-san brings some with him, it's my responsibility that my subjects are warm and comfortable-"

"I'm not your subject, so just take my tent," Naruto said. "Someone needs to keep watch in the night anyway."

"I'm not going to let the person who saved me sleep outside.".

Naruto, just as stubborn, crossed his arms as he stared at her, the almost empty bowl in his hands staining his shirt slightly as drops of soup spilled down. "Good luck forcing me in, then. I guess it'll stay empty for the night."

"I guess it will!" Sara said. Both of them were pouting at each other.

"Why don't you share it!" the child that brought Naruto to Sara earlier said. Naruto scratched his cheek.

"There isn't enough space in there-"

"That's indecent!" Sara said, red in the face. Naruto blinked before realizing his mistake.

"Ah! Yes!" he said, hitting his palm with a fist. "It was in one of Ero-sennin's books, so it can't mean anything good."

The child looked confused, Sara looked embarrassed. Naruto clueless. All is right in the world.

"Captain Yamato might be able to make a house out of wood, hm," Naruto muttered as he closed his eyes, thinking hard. "But there was something about the desert and dry wood he mentioned, there being a reason for buildings to be made out of stone or not-easily burning cloth.

Captain Yamato spoke with wisdom. Naruto accepted it without a second thought. Sighing, he just let himself fall backwards onto the blanket and stared at the star-filled sky. He wasn't tired at all. The time he hadn't spent resting, he spent thinking.

This was… 20 years ago. He hasn't been born yet. The people who would become his parents, the old man, they were all alive. Everyone was still… okay. Yamato said they mustn't change too much, but there was no way in hell that Naruto would allow anyone to touch them. There was no way in hell he would allow anything to happen to his precious people.

"Naruto," Sara said, lying down next to him, her gaze following his upwards to the sky. He turned his head to her. "If we stay in Sunagakure, will… will you visit us?"

Naruto didn't even think about his answer. "Of course," he said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you'd be home," Sara said. "And I know ninja have all kinds of missions to take care of…"

"Ah," Naruto said. "Home."

He frowned. Was it really home? The people he called friends weren't born yet. The teachers of their teams all were children, younger than him, yet war was looming.

"I'm not sure if it's the same home I remember," Naruto said. "But I'll try to make the best of it. If possible, I'll write you, though my handwriting isn't really up to standard."

That was an understatement. Naruto did never put much thought into penmanship.

"Then… why don't you stay with us? I mean, if you want to- we might need the protection, we can pay! I mean…"

He put a hand on her arm, stopping her from babbling. Shivering at how cold she felt, Naruto just shook his head.

"I would never make you pay if you need my help," Naruto said. "If it's my mission, I'd protect you and everyone here for as long as necessary, there's nothing else waiting for me."

The crowd around them went mostly unnoticed. The citizens were eating together, both happy and sad, some listening in on the conversation, some holding their own.

"So?"

"I'm not sure I can make that decision right now. I'll ask Captain Yamato."

Straightforward and impulsive, but never outright disobedient. Rather than do it out of respect for authority, however, Naruto did it out of respect for his friends.

"And if he says yes?" Sara asked. She was biting her lower lip hard. He worried she'd draw blood.

"I'll stay for as long as you need me," Naruto promised.

Sara lifted her arm out from his grasp and put her hand on his, squeezing it. Naruto looked lost at what to do, and instead just let her do what she wanted.

"Thank you, Naruto," she muttered. The rest of the night was spent in silence until she finally fell asleep again. Naruto kept watch.

* * *

"The Wind Daimyo declared the citizens of Roran a threat to the country," Minato said, standing in a larger commander's tent at the edge of the camp. Sara gasped. "The Kazekage's hands are tied, he cannot offer them refuge."

Naruto grit his teeth. "That's ridiculous! They're his countrymen! His responsibility-"

"He decided that the presence of the Ryumyaku is too dangerous, despite my assurances that it was empty, the Kazekage backed the Daimyo up." Minato nodded, crossing his arms and looking at the map on the table in the middle. "Unfortunately, had I not been there, I'd think the same. The Ryumyaku can't simply be emptied, but explaining the situation about the appearance of the Kyuubi's chakra would certainly make him more suspicious."

"Ah," Naruto said, lost for words. Sara, who had not stopped wearing his jacket the past few days, stepped forward.

"Will we go to Konoha then?" she asked. Minato nodded quickly, and she sighed in relief. "Then perhaps this is for the best. If… if the Land of Wind refuses to help us rebuild our city, there's no place we can go besides Konoha."

She bowed deeply, her hair swinging forward and hanging down. Minato looked a bit embarrassed.

"Thank you, Minato-san," she said, her words thick with emotion. The feeling of betrayal from her own country - it was clear that the Wind Daimyo had more reasons than just the Ryumyaku. The royal family of Roran and the royal family of the country the city-kingdom resided in were never on good terms. Merely the tax income made the relationship work. "I don't know how to repay you."

"You don't have to, as of today, you're under our protection-"

"Ah, Minato-san," Naruto said. "I've spoken with my captain about it. There's… something I want to discuss with you."

Formality didn't fit Naruto. The fact that he finally got confirmation by Yamato that Minato was indeed the man who would become the Yondaime, and the person who would seal the Kyuubi into him made him nervous.

Minato blinked at the interruption before nodding, moving out of the tent with Naruto as Sara began speaking with Yamato, who was checking over the map.

"Is something on your mind?" Minato asked. Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat.

"There's… you know what I am, right?" Naruto asked. Minato nodded. The question could've had two meanings, if Naruto was aware of his family, but considering the seal on his stomach, it was likely the fact that he was the host of a Bijuu. "And you didn't wipe any memories, so you know that you…"

"I'd have prefered to be surprised," Minato said. "But yes, I'll one day be the Yondaime."

"And you'll die," Naruto said. "Sealing the fox."

Minato sucked a sharp breath.

"I asked the captain," Naruto answered the unasked question. "He said that if I was okay with it, I could tell you, because eventually I'd be a ninja under your command but… I don't know if I will be."

"What do you mean?"

"I might never be born," Naruto said. "It might make me vanish, is what Captain Yamato told me. I might… just…"

Minato put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. Rather than let him speak assurances, Naruto shook his head.

"I want to meet them," Naruto said, sounding worried. "The people that would become my parents, and the old man Hokage, I want to see Jiraiya. Even if it changes so many things, even if I might vanish, even if that might sound selfish-"

The hand squeezed Naruto's shoulder, and the young man turned his head up from the downcast position. "There's nothing selfish in wanting to meet one's parents. I should be able to assure you, though, the effect of the Ryumyaku's chakra is likely to keep you fixed here. As small as the mercy is, you're not going to vanish."

Naruto sighed in relief. In response, Minato patted his shoulder a few times before stepping back a bit.

"And… I think I might know who your parents are," Minato said. Naruto's eyes lit up. "You probably had your suspicions already."

"Yeah," Naruto said, crossing his arms. "I'm not really the smartest guy, but even I could tell something was up with us."

Minato chuckled. "I-I see, of course. I suppose it might come to a shock…"

"I really want to punch you," Naruto said. "But you're not the guy who died sealing a fox into me."

If anything, the revelation was anticlimactic. Naruto, with the observation powers of a two-hundred year old turtle, felt both anger and relief build up. The man, the legend, the Yondaime. His father. He grew up hearing stories, he grew up hearing about the thousands of heroic deeds this man had done. But standing in front of him was a man like him. A shinobi of Konoha. Someone who looked as lost as he did.

Dense, straight-forward and impulsive. But empathetic nonetheless. Naruto took a step forward, raising his hand. When he opened his mouth to ask a question that didn't want to leave his throat, Minato took the step forward too, and wrapped his arms around his son.

"I'm sorry," Minato said. "That I've left you with such a burden. That I left you without your parents."

Naruto's vision grew blurry with tears as he choked out a sob. The emotions and suspicions he was feeling the past few days bubbled up inside him, leaving him shaking nervously. This wasn't how he imagined meeting his parents. In his mind, Naruto always thought about meeting them after living a full life, telling them all about the adventures he had. Even if he didn't know who his parents were, Naruto felt content with the assurances that they loved him, and that he would meet them one day.

That today would be the day was unexpected, yet welcome. And when Naruto finally calmed down, he wiped his tears with his arm.

"I'll stay with them," Naruto said. "I've promised Sara that I'd protect her if we go to Konoha. The captain agreed with me."

"Well, you're technically not a Konoha citizen or shinobi," Minato said. "So I suppose that's alright. Roran is not going to be rebuilt, so they might stay in Konoha indefinitely."

Naruto didn't know why exactly, but his heart was jumping in joy at that declaration. Right now, besides Yamato, Sara was the only thing that kept him going.

"Ah, Minato-san," Naruto said. Minato shook his head.

"Just Minato is alright, I might not really be the man who became your father, but I think we should be a bit closer than that, eh, Naruto?"

"Yes!" Naruto nodded. "Minato, what's my mother like?"

Minato began coughing as he choked on the air. He had forgotten to mention Naruto when he paid a quick visit to her before briefing the Hokage on the situation. She'd kill him. She'd kill him and bring him back, just to stab his balls. Kushina didn't do well with surprises.

"She's… a fun person," Minato said. "If anything, you're closer to her in personality than me."

"Very loud and aggressive?" Naruto tried.

Minato laughed, nodding at the apt summary. "Also very kind, someone who could become everyone's friend," Minato said.

Naruto smiled. Yes, of course, the great friendly ninja Naruto, that was him. "I shouldn't be this nervous," Naruto said, his shaking hands hiding behind his hands. "But… what if she doesn't like me?"

"I don't think I've ever met a person that could make Kushina dislike them the first time they met," Minato said.

Naruto smiled. Kushina. He had a name for her now.

"Don't worry too much, if anything, she'll probably hate _me_ for not telling her about you sooner."

"Good luck?"

"Thank you," Minato said seriously. "I'll need it."

* * *

Naruto was feeling overwhelmed. At first he thought the reason of Sara's constant presence around him was because she wasn't feeling safe, but instead she seemed to treat him like he used to treat Sakura.

When he talked with Yamato about these concerns, the man simply waved him off with a smile and told him to let her be. Naruto didn't mind letting her be, but he was still not feeling entirely comfortable with the attention.

The journey through the desert was hard with the speed of civilians. Rather than rush through, they had to keep walking for days just to reach the sight of Sunagakure, and then walk some more to reach the border of the Land of Wind.

Every night, they made a camp and prepared food. While the city crumbled to dust, people were able to save most of their things, and with the seals supplied by Minato and used by Yamato, they could store a lot of food in them.

Sara decided to spend every meal with Naruto. Minato found it funny for some reason. When she began trying to feed him, Naruto didn't mind, though he still found it weird. This was like one of Jiraiya's novels, only without the dirty stuff.

"Even if it's the past," Sara said. "You know Konoha, right?"

"Yes," Naruto said. "Do you want me to show you around?"

"Please," Sara said, smiling. "I want to see the places you like."

"Maybe not high places, so you don't fall again," Naruto teased. She stuck her tongue. "How do you feel?"

"Hm?"

"About leaving Roran behind, not getting it rebuilt," Naruto said. She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry if I sound insensitive-"

"No, it's alright, I guess we just," Sara began, shaking her head. "We both lost something, didn't we? You lost your home, and I lost mine. But… my home isn't simply my city, it's my people, I still have them here. And you will still have yours, right?"

"Right." Naruto nodded, his eyes itching. "I… I learned about my parents from this time. I finally get to meet them and all the other people that died. So… even though I lost everything, I gained some back."

"Naruto?" Sara saw him wipe at his eyes. Wrapping an arm around him, she put her head on his shoulder. "It's alright."

"Maybe it is," Naruto said, his eyes red. "But I don't want to forget them. The people that taught me, my friends."

"You won't," Sara said. "You'll meet them again one day. I'm sure of it."


	2. Give me Strength

**The Future Has Passed**

 **Chapter 2: Give me strength**

* * *

The gate loomed over them. Naruto's fists were shaking as he stared into the village. The citizens of Roran filtered through as they were being processed, registering every man, woman and child. Sara refused to stand at the front of the group, instead taking a place towards the back to make sure everyone was accounted for.

Unable to make his legs move, he found his place behind her. He wouldn't register as Uzumaki Naruto, shinobi of Konohagakure. Not yet. Until the matters were handled and they had their meeting with the Hokage, he was just Naruto, the refugee.

"Naruto," Yamato said, slapping him on the back. Naruto drew a sharp breath. "At attention, soldier."

Naruto straightened his back, walking forward with Sara and Yamato to one of the five booths they had set up for the registrations. Minato was standing next to it, giving them a soft smile.

"Please fill out this form," the young Chunin sitting inside spoke up, his eyes glued to the documents in his hands. "You'll find a second paper asking for your former profession, please describe your skills so we can more easily organize work after the initial waiting period for refugees is over."

"Ah, Eiichirou-kun." Minat's voice made the Chunin look up. "I already told you about those two, the shinobi I'm bringing to the Hokage. And that is the queen."

Eiichirou blinked, standing up so fast that his chair was knocked over. He bowed over the papers that were stacked on the table in front of him. "I am terribly sorry! Welcome to Konoha, Queen Sara-"

"Just Sara," she said, using one of the pens to fill out the form she picked up. "Sara of Roran, I no longer carry any titles."

Naruto stared at her from the corner of his eye. She didn't sound sad or otherwise distressed. She didn't sound happy or relieved either. The sound that broke the awkward silence was the pen scratching on the paper as Yamato followed suit.

"We can handle this later, we've already sent word ahead about you three," Minato said. "The Hokage's tower is straight down this road."

Sara and Yamato nodded, Naruto was still staring at the empty form he reflexively lifted off the table. It felt unreal. It almost looked the same. Almost. He furrowed his brows. "Minato, is Orochimaru in the village?"

Yamato's sharp glare almost made him stumble, but he kept going. Minato shrugged. "I think he's out on a mission right now. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious," Naruto said. Yamato nodded, the motion looking stiff. "There's some stuff we need to talk about later."

"I see," Minato said, reading the mood. "Queen Sara, I hope I'm not imposing on you with this request. Until Naruto can earn some pay on missions, he won't have a place to stay. Do you think it'd be possible for the people of Roran to keep him around for a while longer?"

Naruto and Sara both looked confused at the question, but before the former could say something Sara spoke up. "We'd never refuse a hero of our people."

"Thank you very much," Minato said.

Naruto blinked. "What about the captain?" he asked, pointing at Yamato.

"We have a mission ready for him already," Minato said. "We can talk about this later, we're already there."

The Hokage tower didn't look any different. If anything it looked more like the tower he admired as a child than it did after the Sandaime died. The mere thought made his heart jump up, as if it tried to fly out of his throat. It was unlike him, the point where he felt disappointed in himself. He wasn't this kind of person. The kind that hesitated, the soft-spoken and careful kind.

When they reached the door to the Hokage's office, Sara grabbed his sleeve. As nervous and excited as he was, she was also about to meet a man whose name was spoken in the same breath as the First Hokage. Minato knocked twice, then opened the door.

Naruto pushed past him, forgetting Sara's grip on his arm, and almost choked on the smoke that filled the room. Behind the desk sat a man, old, but not that old. A pipe was in his mouth, and on his lips was a soft smile.

"Old man-" Naruto choked on his tongue. He knew Yamato was about to shout at him, but-

He bowed. A fist flew over head. Sara settled next to Naruto and bowed as well. "Sandaime. My name is-"

"Uzumaki Naruto," Hiruzen interrupted, standing up and moving around his desk. "And Queen Sara; Captain Yamato. Welcome to Konohagakure. Or perhaps it's ' _welcome back_ '. Isn't that right, Naruto?"

Naruto straightened his back out of the bow, taking a step forward. He could feel his legs give out under him. Instead of keeping his distance, Hiruzen took a step forward as well, putting his thin hands on Naruto's shoulder. "Welcome home, Naruto."

When Yamato moved forward to drag Naruto back, Minato stopped the captain with a gentle hand. Sara was staring at the scene in silence.

Naruto collapsed to his knees, and wrapped his arms around Hiruzen. He was shaking, his vision blurry.

"I'm home, old man."

* * *

"This is confidential," Hiruzen said, "if this ever becomes public knowledge, Konoha and every villager is in danger. And as much as it pains me to say, this might also mean that we cannot act on certain information you might reveal to us."

Yamato was doing the talking. He was the commanding officer, and this was too serious to let Naruto make any decisions.

"Though I admit that I'm curious why you let the queen keep her memories of all of this," Hiruzen said. "In the field, I'd likely have given you the order to seal them away. Explain yourself, Minato."

Though Naruto wanted to speak up, Sara's hand on his arm stopped him. The old man, his look was all business; an expression that mirrored the gravity of the situation. The kind of face where even Naruto would be pushing it.

"Her connection to the Ryumyaku and the events that have transpired under the city of Roran had a part in that decision. The actual risk of changing the future has already come to pass, even this information is unusable to most, as their knowledge pertains only certain key events that might not happen with their presence."

"So despite the confidentiality we've established, the information might not actually be useful?"

"No," Minato said, shaking his head. He looked over to Naruto, a glint in his eye and a smile on his lips. "I think that being aware of certain things will give us an edge in the bigger picture, even if specific events might not change."

"Things you'd not trust me with," Sara said. Her voice was soft, but there was an air around her which made it clear she was speaking from experience. "I don't understand why you let me in on some things and yet hesitate to speak on others."

"Call it a mutual agreement," Hiruzen said. "You've already learned about things before I gave the order to keep them from the public, and I am not so cruel to retroactively punish you for it."

"And if the information leaks," she said, "you'll know where to turn your gaze."

Hiruzen nodded. She smiled at him, giving him a small bow. Naruto didn't understand the exchange, but he could tell they came to an understanding. After a moment, the old man spoke up again. "Which brings us to another matter. Naruto-kun, despite the Land of Wind's dismissal of the people of Roran, there's still value in them and in their queen. I have a mission for you."

That made him perk up. "I promised Sara to take care of her and the others, can-"

"Yes," Hiruzen said, nodding. "As refugees, their status is rather special. We've taken them in out of charity and hope they will assimilate and make our village stronger and more prosperous one day. Until then, you'll have to protect them."

Naruto hesitated. He looked over to Sara, who had a content smile playing on her lips. He looked over to Minato, who shrugged and shook his head. "You're making this my mission so I get paid, right?"

"The state isn't going to pay you from its own pockets, of course," Hiruzen said. "But the mission was requested and you are going to receive a monthly payment for as long as it takes."

As long as it takes until what? They… assimilated? Had children that became shinobi, perhaps? Loyalty to one's village was easier when your children become soldiers to protect it, right? That's how someone explained it to him once.

"That could take years," Naruto concluded. Hiruzen nodded. "In which I do… what I've been doing the past few days?"

He couldn't do much. They wouldn't allow him to act on his knowledge anyway. He could spend this time with Sara, or training, or getting reacquainted with the village. It wasn't a surprise to him that when the reality of his predicament managed to catch up to him, he felt small.

His enemies, Akatsuki, were years away. His friend, Sasuke, was years from his betrayal… years from being born. Himself, he felt miserable because there was a pang of happiness at being allowed to continue doing something that felt familiar.

Would it be so easy to forget his friends? So easy to make new ones and spend his time dodging the thoughts of what will become of them now that the future has passed?

"I accept," Naruto said. He was a shinobi that wore his heart on his sleeve. It was pounding, making his hands shake. Making his ears heat up.

Sara grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

He leaned down, making sure she could hear his whisper, and spoke again. "Thank you."

He wasn't sure what he was thanking her for. It could have been for giving him peace, or perhaps for reaching out for him when the weight of the world was sitting square on his shoulders. Yamato's hand on his shoulder was just one of many that had given him hope already.

* * *

Naruto and Sara were dismissed. Some of the information that was left out during the meeting would no doubt be handled by the commanding ninja, and Naruto didn't trust himself enough to stay calm when discussing Orochimaru's inevitable betrayal and what it meant for Konoha.

He settled to pushing his conflicting feelings aside and riding the high. The old man was still alive. Maybe, just maybe, he could find happiness in keeping things from going bad again.

"Naruto," Sara said. He turned to her as they stepped out of the building. "You said you'd show me around, but I think it'd be better to visit the others first; see where we're staying."

He nodded."Thank you for sticking with me through this."

"Thank _you_ ," she said. He looked at her, not able to put his thoughts into words. "For supporting me. I'm not as strong as you."

"No," he said. She furrowed her brow when he shook his head. He took a large step forward, turning to meet her eye. "You're strong."

He put a hand on her shoulder when she tried to look away.

"You're way stronger than you think, and you have to stay strong for your people, right?"

They'd also have to stay strong for the children not yet born, as much as they had to remain unyielding to keep the people already here safe.

"Make me stronger," she said, grabbing his arm and moving forward towards the assigned refugee district. "Give me some of your strength and I'm sure everything will be alright."

"I'm here to protect you all," he said. "Whatever you need, I'll give."

She laughed.

He didn't know why. He felt content to let her drag him around. He felt like a fish out of water and despite all, it was Sara who felt like a pillar of support to him, not his father, not Yamato.

Maybe it was the remnants of the Ryumyaku's chakra. Maybe it was just this bond of two people who had lost everything they knew and had to start from scratch.


	3. You're my pillar

**The Future Has Passed:**

 **Chapter 3: You're my pillar**

* * *

Sara was wrong.

It was not her that needed strength, but him. Naruto stood in front of a door, his body once again showing signs of hesitation that would've made past-him disgusted. Uzumaki Naruto did not hesitate. He did not fear the unknown; nor did he avert his gaze from the insurmountable.

There was a nagging voice in the back of his head. A dangerous feeling of worry that even the most paranoid of shinobi could never understand. It was the kind of dread exclusive to those that had everything they ever wanted, and feared that it could vanish at any second.

Despite Minato's words, Naruto would've prefered to face a hundred copies of Kakuzu than face his mother right now. Not his mother, though. The woman that might one day become his mother. Or rather, the woman that will not become his mother now that his presence changed the past this much.

Sara was with her people, handling paperwork and the like. Despite her claim that she was no longer a queen, the administration of her people was handed to her. The refugees were declared a de-facto clan, with Sara as clan head. Until further notice, to avoid strange questions coming up - as Minato only had the clearance to tell his wife - Naruto was part of that clan.

He was 'Naruto of Roran'. The lone shinobi of the destroyed city, and the bodyguard to the queen. In the sealed documents he wasn't even a proper Konoha shinobi anymore. It didn't matter. The bonds he made were more important.

He asked for a single favor. That the forehead protector which he left behind in the office be given to his teacher Iruka once the boy graduated from the academy. Parting with it was easier when Hiruzen agreed.

He could get a new one once the paperwork was done. He could have kept the old one until that was done as well, but it was more a symbolic gesture than anything.

This Konoha was a new start for him. And like many new starts, it was difficult. It might've been the most difficult thing he had ever done. His shaking hands tapped against the wooden door three times. Steps echoed from inside and before he could think about jumping onto the roof and making a run for it, it slid open.

She was… beautiful. Her hair reminded him of Sara's, and her face evoked that kind of familiar feeling which could only be born from watching yourself in the mirror; inspecting every bit to figure out which features were from which parent.

Minato stood behind her, not saying a word. It took Naruto a moment to realize they were both standing there frozen. He swallowed, not knowing whether to bow in greeting or just say 'hi'. She made choosing obsolete, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him in. The door shut behind them.

Naruto didn't know what she was doing. She put him next to Minato, looking at them before nodding with a wide smile.

"Minato! I told you our kids would get my good looks!"

Naruto felt his knees grow weak at the smile. It was disarming and he felt like an asshole for expecting something low of his mother. For not trusting Minato's words.

Giving her a shaky thumbs up, he mirrored her smile. He was desperate to avoid the mess of emotions he felt when he met the Sandaime again. He was attempting to, at least, and failing.

He wasn't even sure what to call her. Mom? Mother? Kushina? She wrapped an arm around his neck, the other around Minato's. Was it so easy? Just accepting who he was without suspicion? Just forming a bond over something that sounded so insane even in a world full of ninja?

Hell yeah it was that easy. That's what _he does_. He's _Uzumaki Naruto_. He laughs at _expectations_. He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug. He made friends in less time than that. What did he have to lose? Nothing.

And what he had to gain was family. What he _gained_ was a family. For every friend he lost, he would make a new one.

And one day in the future, he would meet them again. In this life or the next.

"Thank you," Naruto said. His cheeks were wet, but he wasn't a sobbing mess like in the Hokage's office. He opened his mouth again to speak, then closed it. His tongue moistened his lips, and he found the words he wanted to say; speaking up again. "Thank you."

Ever so elaborate, Naruto's choice of words were more than enough to make Kushina squeeze them tighter. "We're family," she said. "Welcome home, Naruto."

Pure catharsis. There was no other word for it.

* * *

"I cleared everything," Minato said. "If there's something we should be worried about sharing, I'll stop him. So feel free to ask him questions."

Kushina nodded. The table was full of food. A proper feast, way too much for a family of three. It'd have been too much for three times that many. " You're… sixteen, right?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "Nearly seventeen, it's a bit hard keeping track of everything."

"When's your birthday?"

"October 10th," he said, grinning. "Though it was August when we came here, it's March here, right?"

Minato nodded. "I don't think you'd want your birthday to be moved ahead."

Naruto waved him off. "It's fine," he said. "My birthday was never a big occasion for me, it doesn't matter what day it is as long as I can spend it with my friends…"

He paused. He could see Kushina was conflicted and wanted to speak up, perhaps the mention of his birthday celebrations wasn't the best way to start the conversation. He shrugged, giving her a disarming smile.

"And my family," he continued. "If I have to put it down on paper, I guess I'll stay sixteen a bit longer than usual."

"Next question!" Kushina said. "Sorry if this sounds a bit blunt but… did you have anyone special back home?"

Naruto blinked, tilting his head to the side. "I'm sorry?"

"I mean a girlfriend," Kushina said. "Or a boyfriend? I don't mind either way but I want grandkids-"

"What, no!" he said. "No, not at all, I had a crush on a girl but… it wasn't really meant to be, she liked someone else and then so many things came up that I just couldn't- I mean it doesn't matter now, she's not even born yet here…"

"Well you _are_ young," she said. He nodded. Before she could speak up again, he interrupted.

"I wanted a family," Naruto said. He sounded sad. "I was lonely, and I always imagined what my future could look like. But I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Of my children being born in that world," Naruto said. She looked confused. Minato, however, nodded. "Why don't you have children yet?"

Kushina blinked at the question, then turned to Minato. The slow realization coming over her face was amusing to see. She was easy to read, a trait which he had no doubt inherited from her as well. "Because… there's war on the horizon. There's always war and no security."

"The people who have children are brave," Naruto said. "Braver than I am, for sure. They trust their children to survive these conflicts and live through these risky times. I don't want to have a family in a time where I could lose them to a war."

"That doesn't mean you're not brave, Naruto," Kushina said. "You're selling yourself short. Are you saying you're going to give up on love because there's strife?"

"Yes," Naruto said. The word came out of his mouth so fast he almost stumbled over it. His mother slammed her fist on the table. Even Minato seemed distraught by the cynic answers. "No, I mean… I just haven't found anyone I like, and until my entire life was ripped out of my grasp I didn't even have time to relax. I was a target for the strongest criminals on the continent."

He had hopes that the thing with Sakura would've worked out in the end. As a person who understood just how high the stakes were, she was the only one he felt he didn't have to worry about.

"And now?" Minato asked. "Now that-"

"Now there's war looming," Naruto said. Minato gritted his teeth. "And maybe we can avert the worst of it-"

"You're not a target anymore," Minato said. "You're not even an active shinobi on the roster. Wouldn't you say now is the best time to find some peace?"

Naruto didn't have an answer for that. Kushina, however, hadn't calmed down at all. She stood up, grabbing Naruto by the collar and lifted him out of the chair. "Narutoooooo!"

"Yes?" he asked. His voice was strained, but he had already resigned himself to the wrath of the women in his life. "If you punch me, that's domestic abuse, right? Please don't punch me."

"You're my son!" she said, her voice stern. He wanted to ask her how it was so easy for her to say that. How she could just take in all those feelings of familial love and use them on someone who was a stranger to her. "I don't care if you're sixteen or not born yet, rely on other people more! Family is important!"

"Yes," he said. She had lifted him up a bit more. His voice was high pitched and it became difficult to breathe. "Y-you can let me down now, I get it! M-mom!"

She let go of him. He landed on his ass, the chair falling over. Minato stepped up, ready to get between them if things escalated. But Kushina had the brightest smile on her face. "I'm a mother! Hey, Minato! He called me mom!"

She was dancing around the kitchen. The food on the table was forgotten the whole time. Standing up, Naruto put the chair up again and sat down at the table.

Her words rang true. Even if he was afraid to have children at this point because of war, and because of the dangers that would no doubt follow him regardless of the time he was in, was it wrong to have peace for himself?

Was it too much to ask for… this? Sitting at the table with two people who had done nothing but shower him with love since he met them? In a dining room, inside a cozy home away from the worries of the ninja life?

"It's never too much to ask for peace," Minato said as if reading his mind. "There's many shinobi who retire as they find their own peace."

"I don't think I can find my own peace that doesn't include everyone," Naruto said, in all sincerity. Minato smiled in approval. "The old man used to tell me that being Hokage was to make all of Konoha your family. Everyone deserves peace."

"I couldn't be prouder to hear those words than I am right now," Minato said. Kushina nodded. "I've no doubt that there's going to be peace, Naruto."

Naruto smiled, grabbing a pair of chopsticks. "Hearing those words from you makes it hard for me not to believe in you."

"I made a mistake," Kushina said. "You have my good looks but you're a hopeless romantic like your father."

"Romantic?" Minato said, furrowing his brows. With a slightly higher pitch, he turned to her and narrowed his eyes. " _Hopeless_."

"Teehee," Kushina said. She didn't laugh, or giggle. The word was drawn out and deliberate. "Help, Naruto! Daddy's mad at me!"

Naruto snorted. Maybe relaxing a bit wouldn't be a bad idea.

* * *

"The lodgings for now are two apartment buildings next to each other," Sara explained. "The tent district will be turned into proper homes, but that takes time. Until then we're staying here."

Naruto stared at the building, unable to believe his eyes. "This thing stood here back in the day?"

"You know it?" Sara asked. He nodded.

"I lived here," Naruto said, pointing at his door. "It's… the same?"

The location was the same and the look was the same, but there were a few minor details which made him remember the history of it. The building had to be rebuilt following the Kyuubi attack. Utility was important to ninja villages, so the look of the building wouldn't be changed, but even if it wasn't the same down to the last nail, Naruto felt happy emotions bubble up inside him. Nostalgia was both awesome and awful. Today it was the former.

Sara looked happy for him. She had a bag full of keys.

"We're supposed to distribute those to the families," she said. "I guess you can pick yours first, right?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'm fine with letting you pick. The building has a bunch of memories for me, but in the end it's just a place I'll sleep at, right?"

"We'll get proper homes eventually," she said, raising her nose up. "But it's still our home for a lack of a better one, so don't dismiss it like that."

"Yeah," he said, averting his gaze. "Sorry. I'm not good with thinking before speaking."

She giggled. "We're going to get some aid from the police force, but your mission's still on. So where do you want to live?"

"Next to you, I guess," he said. His eyes were still looking away from her, and though he missed her unladylike grunt and flushed face, he didn't miss her rather obvious coughing. "Unless that makes you uncomfortable, sorry-"

" _No_ , it's fine," she said. "You're my bodyguard, after all, _everyone's_ bodyguard. But it's not like they'll stop treating me like the queen."

"You _are_ the queen," Naruto said. "You might not have a city or a country, but you have your people."

"I have them," she said, nodding. "And your support, right? You think that's enough for me to be a queen?"

"It's your responsibility, isn't it?" he said. He wasn't stupid - he could be insightful if he wanted to be. "Even if you don't feel worthy, Roran was your family, and you can't pick your family."

"I guess I can't," she said. "I had hopes that maybe one day Roran could be rebuilt, but I realize that'd be foolish."

"How so?"

"It stays with us," she said. "No matter when and where, Roran remains with our people. Just like your Konoha stays with you, even here."

Her words were met with a hum. Who was he to disagree? In the bright light of the setting sun, Sara looked even more beautiful. When she turned towards him with a smile, it was his turn to get flustered, the conversation with his parents coming to mind.

"Thank you," he said. She kept smiling at him, knowing he'd continue without prompting. "Roran stays with you, and you can always lean on me for support. Konoha will stay with me forever, and I'll lean on you. You're my pillar."

The words seemed so natural, and her reaction was almost worth the embarrassment he felt after saying them. She looked away, but nonetheless leaned onto him. She was the one person he could call friend at this point.

His father and mother, as awkward as it was, weren't friends as much as they were family. Yamato was his commanding officer. This old man Hokage never had the tight bond between them. When nothing else made sense and he felt like sinking into this stupid haze, she was there.

* * *

In the end, they had settled for the apartment Naruto used to live in, Sara taking the one left of it. When Naruto was sitting in his bed and staring at the ceiling, he could tell she was right next door.

He put his hand on the wall.

He had been showered with affection. Familial love was something he wasn't familiar with. The closest he had to the feeling were the emotions he felt when he thought back to Jiraiya and Tsunade. As odd as it was, they were the closest thing to parents he had back there.

And he couldn't ask why he felt so guilty at the affection. He knew the answer already. He had pondered on it a lot. Was it okay to let go of the future and live and enjoy the here and now?

Could he be as strong as Sara was?

He could hear someone knocking on the wall. He smiled, knocking back.


	4. I want to stay

**The Future Has Passed**

 **Chapter 4: I want to stay**

* * *

He wasn't much of a bodyguard. In the end whenever Kushina or Minato came to visit, Sara encouraged him to spend time with them. It was an easy routine to get into. A routine that was broken at the same time it was formed.

Minato's short-lived vacation came to an end. He was on his way to missions outside of Konoha; no doubt acting on the information that Yamato had fed him and the old man. This left Kushina with more time to spend with Naruto.

He wanted to ask why she wasn't an active shinobi at this time, considering their previous conversation about why they didn't have kids already. No matter how many questions she asked him, and how many answers he gave, he didn't feel like it was his right to ask anything from her. She had already given him all he ever wanted.

More and more, it felt like 'home' and 'family'.

But it wasn't just them. The people of Roran had also taken him in. By now, he knew all their names. He knew that little Midori spent her time with her big brother, helping him when he was catching bugs. He knew the old lady Usho whose husband had passed away from overwork and cooked for everyone that came within her grasp. He knew Sarai and Masako, who had all but taken up the roles of advisors to Sara.

And they all knew him. They greeted him with smiles. So did the citizens of Konoha; acknowledging the difficulties he must be going through from adapting to his circumstances. If only they knew.

"Naruto!"

A voice echoed, unmistakable, in its volume. His mother was standing at the bottom of the apartment building, looking up. She had three children with her. One he recognized: Kakashi.

The other two must have been his teammates. Kushina must've dragged them along, too bored alone without her husband. He stepped off the railing, landing in front of them.

"Hi," he said, giving them a large smile. "I see you got company."

"These cute little ninja are Minato's team," Kushina said, pushing them forward. Kakashi was aloof, as usual. Obito seemed suspicious, while Rin looked rather bashful at the forceful introduction. "You know Kakashi, this is Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. Say hello, kids!"

"We're Chunin, ma'am," Kakashi said. "Not children."

"Oh shut up," Kushina said, slapping the top of Kakashi's head. "You're going to be my cute little Genin forever."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Naruto said, trying to diffuse the situation. It was hard not pitying the three. Kushina could be overbearing, and even he wasn't immune to her attitude. "I'm Naruto, as you know."

"And everyone in the neighborhood," Kakashi muttered. Kushina patted his head, causing him to wince when she pushed down a bit too hard.

"To be fair, this is kinda my neighborhood," Naruto said. "Everyone here's a refugee."

"You're from Roran too?" Rin asked. Naruto shrugged, not being allowed to disagree, but not willing to agree either. "You kinda look like Minato-sensei and you spend a lot of time with him, so I kinda thought you were related."

"Possible," Naruto said, brushing the comment off. He couldn't help but grin. "The nations can be a strange thing, we could be relatives."

If he recalled his history lessons correctly, the technological advancement for parental DNA tests weren't quite there yet during these times. Technology had advanced leaps and bounds in the years after the third war.

Rin had small pink blush over her cheeks. He didn't know why, but for some reason Obito took offense.

"I don't like you," the Uchiha said. Naruto smiled at him.

"I'm sorry that's the case, maybe I can change your mind over a bowl of ramen?"

Obito blinked. It was as dismissive as Kakashi's responses were, but at the same time it was hard for Naruto to dismiss anyone. His voice gave off such a warmth that even the most staunch opponents of his ended up paying attention.

"You're paying," Obito decided. Naruto nodded. Obito stuck his hand out, and Naruto grabbed it, squeezing tight. "Welcome to the village, Naruto."

"A bit late, isn't it?" Naruto said. "I've been here for a while already. But thank you."

When Obito let go, Rin stepped forward to give him a proper greeting, bowing. Kakashi remained withdrawn. Quiet. Dismissive. Suspicious.

It wasn't like Obito's suspicion, which was just something born from a fear of the unknown. Kakashi's suspicion was the hesitation to accept Naruto and Yamato. It didn't help that the latter had been rather antagonistic towards the young teen.

He had resolved to fixing that in the future.

Kushina clapped her hands together. "I knew we'd all get along splendidly," she said. "So let's get ramen, I know just the place!"

It was perhaps one of his fondest memories. The first one he could remember with clarity. The group made their way towards the Ichiraku ramen stand, which would one day become a proper restaurant. The man and woman working the stand were older than his parents.

Teuchi greeted them all with a loud voice. "Welcome! How may I serve you today?"

"The usual," Kushina said. Naruto nodded, and that was all there was to his order. The three Chunin gave their own orders and they sat at the low seats in front of the stand. "You've been here before?"

"Tons of times," Naruto said. And a billion times before that. "I'd probably come here more often but I've had to make compromises. Every other day I'm invited to eat with Usho, and other times I just get dragged along by the kids to eat with their family instead."

"You've no family of your own?" Obito asked. Kushina looked annoyed at the blunt question, but Naruto waved it off. A week ago, he might've had a stronger reaction, but now?

"I have no relatives," Naruto said. Obito had realized his mistake, but it was too late to take the words back. Naruto couldn't say that his mother was sitting right next to him. "But that doesn't mean I'm all alone. I've spent tons of time with Minato and Kushina here, and everyone from Roran has been treating me like family anyway."

"Sorry," Obito said.

Kakashi clicked his tongue.

Despite that, Obito didn't react to the obvious taunt. "I've not met many shinobi from outside of Konoha. I was just curious what it was like, where you're from, that is."

"Ah," Naruto said. His eyes became distant. He could feel Kushina's hand grasp his, squeezing it. His Konoha was… "It was beautiful."

Rin not-so-subtly smashed her elbow into Obito's arm when she noticed the line of questioning would lead to nothing but awkwardness. In an obvious attempt to divert the conversation, she asked her own question. "You're the queen's personal bodyguard, right?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "Though the village is so safe, she often just sends me on errands."

"So you're good at fighting?" Rin asked.

"So is she as cute as everyone says?" Obito asked, at the same time. Rin glared at him.

"Yes," Naruto said. Rin and Obito blinked. Which of the questions had he answered? Kushina's shoulders were shaking, and the noise of five bowls hitting the table released the floodgates of mirthful laughter.

"I want to fight you," Kakashi said. Despite his attitude of being above it all, there was a clear competitive edge to his tone.

Naruto shrugged. "If you want to. Let's eat first, alright?"

He could've sworn the bowl in front of Kakashi was full just a second ago. He didn't even see him take off the mask. That little shit.

Obito and Rin exchanged a glance. That wasn't something they were going to miss. They also wanted to know which of their questions he answered, or if he was just messing with them.

If this is someone Minato-sensei trusted enough to spend time with; someone he had no issue with introducing his wife to, despite being a foreign ninja… what made him so worthy of that trust?

He looked like him, sure. And his smile was bright, like Kushina's. Was that all it took?

* * *

Naruto and Kakashi stood in front of each other on a rather barren training field. This Kakashi wasn't as experienced as his. He wasn't as fast, or had the Sharingan. Despite that, Naruto also knew that he couldn't underestimate the man that would one day become so famous that countries feared his name.

And yet, he had stood against monsters like Kakuzu. He had faced Uchiha Itachi. He had stood next to some of the strongest shinobi there were during his time.

It wasn't arrogance that made him realize that Kakashi as he was now wouldn't win against him. It was the knowledge that in the face of impossible odds, even if he would lose ninety-nine out of one-hundred battles, he would aim for that one win and succeed.

Because this Kakashi wasn't the kind of man that became his sensei. He wouldn't hesitate to let go of his values to achieve his goal.

"Begin," Kushina said.

Kakashi didn't move.

That was fine. Naruto stepped forward, his hands in a cross sign. Three clones surrounded him, then spread out. His Taijutsu was sloppy. His strength always was overwhelming his opponents, whether it was Ninjutsu or sheer numbers.

Kakashi, who had no doubt trained with the Gai of this time, blocked each hit without breaking into sweat. He was, however, pushed back by the clear superior strength of the older teen. Naruto couldn't find an opening in his movements, which meant he had to create his own.

With a quick step forward, and a not insignificant amount of chakra in his feet, Naruto leapt onto his opponent. Kakashi pushed the clones away, unable to land a solid hit to dispel any of them yet, and gave Naruto a clear and powerful punch onto his face.

Instead of a crunch, a poof of smoke announced that it was four clones on the field, not three, and he had completely lost track of Naruto.

A leg kicked his feet under him. Kakashi looked down to find that the taller teen had managed to find a blind spot right behind him. Rather than dodge the follow up, Kakashi moved his hands into six seals, holding his hand forward as Naruto's leg connected for another kick. He was knocked away, but Naruto hissed in pain as lightning shot through his leg.

"Lightning Release," Kakashi said. "Shock Hands."

Naruto was helped up by his clones, holding his numb leg. "That's usually used for people in hospitals, right?"

He could see it. The beginnings of an elemental technique with such potent lightning chakra that it could cut through a lightning bolt itself. It was a long way until then, but this technique wasn't something to sell short. Each shock would drain part of his chakra, though, and Naruto had both the stamina and the chakra capacity to defeat this technique just by tanking it.

He wasn't going to let it come to that, however. With another sign, he summoned another two clones. Circling around Kakashi, Naruto approached. Usually, Naruto had fought enemies who had significantly exceeded his own ability. A solid hit, or even a significant scratch could dispel a clone, so whether it was ten or a hundred, it didn't really matter.

Right now it made all the difference. This Kakashi had none of the hundreds of techniques which could level the field, or the chakra capacity to use any of them. This Kakashi had none of the experience that would let him dance through them unscathed.

Naruto hadn't had the practice with someone like Gai, but he still knew how to fight someone at Kakashi's level of skill.

Kakashi hesitated. Obito and Rin looked amazed.

He was a Chunin, yes, but also not yet faced with war and strife the likes of which Naruto had seen.

Kakashi raised his hand, blocking a punch. He dodged two more. One more clone was summoned, grabbing his legs and lifting him off the ground. With a solid hit to the back of his head, he was forced back down, held in place by five Narutos.

"I give up." Kakashi said.

Naruto smiled, dispelling the clones. "You're strong."

" _No_ ," Kakashi said, his voice tense. He stood up, his pride bruised. "You were just toying with me."

"No, you're really strong," Naruto said. "When I was your age, I was a complete failure. I couldn't even win one fight with my own strength."

"Why are you so strong now, then?" Kakashi asked. Naruto shrugged.

"There's some days you just have to learn how to deal," Naruto answered. "Difficult times, difficult people."

Kushina looked sad. He didn't _like_ to see her sad. Yet, despite the smile that he gave her and the others that watched the fight, her expression didn't change. Perhaps reading her wasn't as easy as it seemed.

Or perhaps the things he said had more impact than he imagined.

* * *

Naruto sat with Sara. It was just another few days since his fight with Kakashi, and Minato hadn't returned yet. Kushina was spending some time with a friend of hers.

Obito wanted some pointers to learn how to beat Kakashi. Rin dragged him off. It was a fun back and forth, but in the end he always found himself here.

With her.

They had decided to eat out today, in a rather fine restaurant of the Akimichi clan. It had taken a bit to convince him, but in the end the argument that she could be attacked outside of the refugee district was enough to make him come along.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go with her, he just didn't want to wear the semi-formal attire which she had a seamstress make for him. He wanted to repay her, but she shut that down with a glare.

Sara's eyes were bright today, he had noticed. They shone in this strange light that made him capable of forgetting his worries for a while longer. It was like she could never see the effect she had on him. It confused him as well.

It wasn't the same kind of feeling he had when he looked at Sakura back in the day. It was the oppressive kind of emotion which made him everything but himself. It made him hesitant, unable to look her in the eye sometimes.

"Your parents are kind people," Sara said. Naruto nodded. "I can see where you've got it from."

"I think I've learned it more from the old man," Naruto said. "He's… compassionate. Kind. I love him, and he showed me just what it meant to be loved and acknowledged."

"I understand what you mean. I'm glad."

"About what?"

"That you're such a loving person. Even though you could've become bitter and angry at the world, you're kind and compassionate like him."

"I try to be," Naruto said. "But I could never live up to the kind of person he is. He has this inner peace."

"And you don't?"

His hand came up to his stomach. To his seal. It wasn't just a metaphorical inner peace he lacked, it was a quite literal one as well. It painted him a target. "Not quite like him."

"I don't think you should try to be like him," Sara said. "You're you, right?"

"Ah," he said, smirking. "I am, aren't I?"

"Hmph," she said, raising her nose in a move that only royals could learn. "I'm saying why are you trying to live up to his ideal when you can just set your own standards?"

"I'm not sure I can do that anymore," Naruto said. He looked around. The restaurant was full, and some people were stealing glances at the queen. "I've had so many goals and plans for back home, I can't fulfill any of those anymore. I'm starting new."

"Then do that," she said. "With us, there's no need to worry about any of these things."

He gritted his teeth, giving her a curt nod. She noticed. Of course she did. She leaned forward over the table, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What are you so afraid of?" she asked. "Why are you hesitating so much?"

"I'm… not afraid," he said. She shook her head.

"You are," she said. She wasn't wrong, and he was in denial. "And I'm not happy that you don't trust me enough. Do I mean that little to you, Naruto?"

"Of course not," Naruto said. "You're my precious friend, I'd- I'm… I've-"

"What are you afraid of, Naruto?"

"I'm afraid," Naruto said, putting his hands on the table. His nails scratched the surface of the hardwood, creating small cuts as he balled a fist. "I'm afraid that one day, there'll be a way back home-"

She looked hurt at that. He shook his head, reaching out to her and putting a hand on hers.

"That one day, there'll be a way back home, and I would want to stay," he said. "That I've already broken off all those bonds I made."

"S-so what?" she asked. Her face grew red. He blinked at her. "What's wrong with staying?"

"Nothing," he said. "It's the decision of staying that makes me-"

"So. What?" she asked again. She got a bit louder. The people were staring unabashed now. He tried to lift his hand and calm her down, but she turned her hand around and grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer over the table. She didn't say anything else, her face right in front of his. Her breath was hot. She smelled like desert sand and Roranian spices.

When she saw he was about speak up and ruin the moment, she leaned further forward. Her lips met his. He tried to speak up, but all that came out of his mouth was a low moan. "Sara-"

"You're staying with me," she said. Her eyes were full of emotion. "I don't care if it's selfish. I'm the queen, right? Listen to me. Lean on me."

"Yes," he said, feeling like a scolded child. She was his pillar, he had called her that himself. He wasn't certain whether he could call this love or not. He was drawn to her, and she was the only person, even above his parents, who managed to make him forget his worries.

" _Stay_ with me," she ordered again.

He leaned forward, kissing her again.


	5. I have something to come back to

**The Future Has Passed**

 **Chapter 5: I have something to come back to**

* * *

Naruto had known 'love'. He had known 'friendship'. He had never understood what it meant to feel so strongly for someone that the thought of being apart from them hurt. After the affectionate display in the restaurant, both of them were left flushed and unable to look each other in the eye.

Nonetheless, they've went back home holding hands. The moment they stepped out of the restaurant, loud chatter erupted behind them. They ignored every stare and smile they got until they arrived back home, in front of their doors.

She said nothing. He shuffled with his feet, looking down. When he looked up to meet her eyes, both of them looked up, as if the most interesting sight had appeared in the sky. Naruto snuffed any feeling of hesitation out and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. She pushed her face into his chest, rubbing against it. It was clear that both of them hadn't ever done this, or felt this way. Calling it 'love' at this point might be excessive, but when two people had their worlds around them shattered and only each other to brighten each other's day, it was hard not to call it that.

If perhaps this was what love was - and they couldn't tell as they've never known love of this kind - then there was nothing wrong with it. It was right. It felt more 'right' than anything had ever felt before. In his kiss was the declaration that he'd stay, and he meant it.

Naruto placed his mouth on the crown of her head, taking a deep breath.

"If you thank me again," she said, "I'll kick you."

He sighed, a large smile on his lips. "Of course."

"Good night, Naruto."

"Good night."

Letting go of the warmth felt harder than fighting his turncoat best friend did. When they seperated, she shivered. With a smile, she entered her apartment, and left him to stand outside for a while longer before he finally entered his own home.

She knocked three times. He knocked back.

* * *

It was Kushina he told first. Who else was there? Minato was still out on his mission, and the old man had more important things to do.

"How was it?" Kushina asked. She had a pillow in her arms, hugging it as she stared at him with wide eyes. It was the face of gossip, and he feared it like nothing else. A soft hiss escaped from the girl next to her. Rin had been invited, for some reason, and it was like the noises she made were there simply to emphasize how hard she was staring at him.

"It was… good?" Naruto tried. Kushina rolled her eyes, expecting more. "I'm not sure what you want me to say. I haven't kissed a girl before yesterday."

"You're sixteen and haven't-" Rin cut herself off quickly when she saw Naruto's annoyed look.

"I spent a lot of time with my teacher not long after I became a… ninja." He avoided mentioning the Genin classification. "We were traveling a lot, and there was a girl back home I liked."

"And then you found love in the queen and she mended your broken heart-" Kushina said, shuffling left and right on her seat, swooning. "Did she call you her king?"

"No," Naruto said, unamused. "I- We're…"

He could feel his face heat up. Rin leaned forward, while Kushina gave him an expectant grin.

"We both lost a lot." Naruto recalled the look on Sara's face. "And now we're holding each other up. I called her my pillar, she said I was hers."

Rin's face grew red. Kushina made a noise somewhere between a squeal and a scream, throwing the pillow up. It made a thud as it hit the ceiling, then came crashing down on her lap. "You're so _cute_! You're a natural at this, Naruto!"

He looked away, embarrassed. Kushina threw an arm around Rin and grinned.

"Rin, you'll have to find a guy who looks at you like Naruto looks at Sara," Kushina said. "That's an order."

Rather than dismiss the woman, or say anything about getting orders from inactive shinobi, Rin nodded. Her face was set in a serious expression that betrayed nothing. Kushina pointed her free hand at Naruto.

"And you, you're going to take her on a real date!" Kushina, once again, ordered. Naruto blinked. "It has to be a date with an intention to be a date. You're going to go to her and you'll ask her to go out with you."

Naruto blinked again. "We usually eat dinner together, are you sure-"

" _Yes_ ," Kushina said, stressing the word. "Let me tell you as a woman who had to deal with a really dense idiot before. If you think going out is the same as _going out_ , you're mistaken."

Naruto didn't miss the emphasis. He was still confused. Rin nodded rapidly, glaring at him.

"Alright," he said. "I'll go ask her on a date. I don't really get it-"

"No, shut up," Kushina said. "You don't need to get it, just don't tell her that. You go ask her on a date, somewhere you haven't been before."

He nodded. "Okay."

"And you're going to tell me all about it tomorrow," she said. He nodded again. "And you're going to get some med ninja to get the right meds so you won't have kids until you're ready."

He nodded in a slow, reflexive motion, then furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You go-"

Parsing her words after a short moment, both him and Rin went grew red in the face.

"We're very, _very_ far from that," Naruto said, cutting her off. "Please don't make this more awkward than it already is-"

"You don't know how many kunoichi careers ended prematurely because of some dumb decision," Kushina said, crossing her arms. "But fine, you pansy. I see where this is going. You're so pure and innocent, just like Minato was-"

Rin stood up. "I have to go, sorry!"

She rushed out of the room, towards the front door, and left. Naruto was left in the ensuing awkward silence with Kushina, who looked like she was far from done with him.

"Always remember, Naruto," Kushina said. Ordered. She put a hand on his shoulder, looking him square in the eye. "The only 'B' word you should call a woman is beautiful. Bitches love when you call them beautiful."

* * *

It came as a late realization that Kushina was far from the mother he kept seeing her as. She was more like an older sister here, and Minato was much closer to an older brother. Maybe it was him being desperate to see them as his parents.

They were older than him, but not by much. Nonetheless, they were powerful shinobi, born in a time of war that forced them to grow up faster than he had to. They were 'mature', yes, but they could also relax and wind down.

When he told Kushina, she didn't look hurt or upset. She nodded, accepting that she could be whatever he wanted her to be, whether it was his mother or his older sister. He had settled it by calling her Nee-chan.

And an older sister's advice is to be heeded. When he arrived home, he skipped his door and moved to hers, raising his knuckles towards the wood. Yet, as much he wanted to heed it, a seed of doubt made itself known.

What if she said no?

What if- he couldn't even finish the thought. She must've heard him come up the stairs, as the door was opened just a few seconds later. He lowered his hand, smiling at her. Sara smiled back.

"Do you want to go out with me?" he asked, throwing 'doubt' out of his vocabulary. She went through several different shades of red before nodding, not saying a word. It was weird to ask for their first date after they had their first (and second) kiss, but he wasn't going to let that be an issue.

The fact that the entire building erupted into cheers for some reason did sound worrisome, however.

* * *

In the end, they had picked the same restaurant as yesterday. They both felt tense, and once again felt unable to look each other in the eye for long. Some people who he recognized from yesterday were also there.

Staring. Listening.

Whenever he threw them a glare, they pretended to look at something else. Tiring of the tense silence, he looked back to Sara, rubbing his neck.

"I didn't believe Kushina when she said actually going out was different," he said. Sara hummed. "I don't… want things between us to change. I like spending time with you and talking."

"Me too," Sara said. "I'm sorry. I just feel-"

"Flustered," he said, ending her sentence. She nodded. "I haven't done this before."

"Me neither," she said. She touched his hand. "I guess it's not wrong to learn with each other."

It felt right. Maybe a bit fast, but emotions didn't care for timing, they grew as time went on. Perhaps it was the fact that they both were so emotional about the things that they lost. It was an easy excuse to grow close like that.

"I'm not asking for too much, right?" Naruto asked. She looked confused. "Being by your side feels like the best thing that's happened to me, even if everything that led to this was an accident… it wasn't wrong. I'm not asking for too much to stay with you a bit longer, right?"

His hand turned around; she put her hand in his and he held onto it. "There can't be anything wrong with this."

A woman started to cough. They looked at her. The restaurant was still, not even pretending they weren't watching. The choking woman was waving at her face, as if she was overheating. The man besides her took pity, slapping her on the back a few times to help.

"I think we should have a picnic next time," Naruto said. Sara nodded. "On the Hokage monument?"

"That sounds nice," she said. He raised her hand, putting his other one around it and holding onto it, squeezing.

"You're beautiful," Naruto said. It was the first time he had said it out loud. No matter how often he thought it before he hadn't dared to speak it. She flushed again, but didn't avert her gaze.

* * *

It was unexpected. Perhaps that's why he should have expected it. He was lying around in bed, tired from the long night, and someone knocked on his window.

Not his door. His window. When he woke up to check what was going on, he was met with his open window and a man standing in his kitchen.

Were he less tired, he'd have managed to whip up a stronger reaction. Jiraiya gave him a large, knowing grin, and slurped on the cup ramen he had stolen out of his cupboard.

"Ero-sennin," Naruto said. He took a few steps forward, and Jiraiya set the cup aside, spreading his arms as if waiting for a hug. He must've heard from the old man. He knew everything. Naruto reared his fist back and punched the man in the stomach. "Your sorry ass died and left me alone!"

Jiraiya wheezed, but didn't fight back. Instead, he slammed his hands on Naruto's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Sorry, kid. But there's more important things to discuss right now."

Naruto gritted his teeth, glaring at the man. "What?"

"You and your girlfriend, of course," Jiraiya said. "My student from the future and the queen of a lost city? This is some prime inspiration. Say, how far did you go?"

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. For the first time in a while, he didn't feel flustered or lost. He didn't contemplate or ponder. Instead, he felt like himself. And when he felt like himself, Naruto reacted like himself. "Shut up, you pervert! Don't break into my home!"

"Ah, my heart," Jiraiya said, putting one hand on his chest. "Is this how much loyalty I've earned from you?"

Naruto summoned a clone, and within a second a Rasengan formed in his hand. Jiraiya was already out the window. "Get back here!"

"We'll talk later," Jiraiya said. "Come to the Hokage office in a bit!"

Naruto hissed at the man, and slammed his window shut. The Rasengan disappeared, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Jiraiya was alive. As annoying as ever, but alive. Loud knocking came from his door. He rushed towards it, finding Sara standing there, looking upset.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't want to wake you, it's-"

"No, it's fine," she said. "I was awake- did you hear?"

"Hear what?" he asked.

"The war," she said, holding her hands to her chest. Her eyes grew moist. "They said the war started in earnest. Iwagakure has laid siege on Takemi village, they're recalling all ninja."

All ninja included him. He blinked. The war was an inevitability, Yamato had said. The question was whether they could come out better than they had in the future.

Despite a large amount of casualties, Konohagakure was no doubt the winner of the Third War. With the information that Yamato had, this victory might mean much more, but that also meant more focused efforts.

Which meant that if he had to fight to protect the village, it was an extension of his bodyguard duties, and something he couldn't say no to.

Not that he would.

He was Uzumaki Naruto, and nobody would hurt the people he held precious.

She hugged him while he was still lost in his thoughts. Wrapping his arms around her, he put his chin on the top of her head and sighed. "It'll be fine."

"No," she said. "I don't want you to fight."

"It'll be fine," he repeated. "Because I have something to come back to, there's no way I'll end up hurt."


	6. Three Words, Eight Letters

**The Future Has Passed**

 **Chapter 6: Three Words, Eight Letters**

* * *

"I have a mission," Naruto said. It was the very next day, and they sat on the top of the Hokage monument having their picnic. She dropped the bottle she was holding, the liquid spilling over the side of the blanket, onto the soil. "I could've said no, but it's important, and I didn't want to lie to you."

She didn't react. She knew, of course, that the war was going to spill over to Konoha soon enough. There might be spies in place already. If Iwa managed to move closer towards the village, it'd mean hell.

Naruto couldn't have said no. Refusing to aid Konoha would make him feel responsible for anything that happened.

"But," he said, "it's with Minato and his students. We're supposed to destroy a bridge, really easy stuff. As far as we know, Iwa hasn't gotten there yet. It won't take long for us to get back."

Long being relative, considering Minato's 'short' mission had taken quite a bit before he returned yesterday to report the invasion on Fire Country soil.

"I don't want you to go," she said, finding her voice. She looked at him, her face stern. Her voice steadfast, she continued. "I want you to stay with me."

"I want to stay with you," Naruto said, reaching out to her. She withdrew her hand, looking away. "Because I want to stay with you I have to help end this war as fast as possible."

"You're going to risk your life in a war that ends without your help-"

"And how many people are going to lose their lives while I sit here, doing nothing?"

"You're not doing nothing," Sara said. Her voice rose. "You're protecting me, staying with me!"

"Because I'm protecting you, I'm going."

She turned her gaze back to him, her eyes wet. She found him staring back. His jaw was set, his eyes were hard, unyielding. Serious. It was the face she had seen him make when he had faced her treacherous minister.

A face she couldn't resist, because it was so earnest.

"If I can save just one more person from suffering," he said. "Then I have to try."

Tears welled up in her eyes, some dripping down her cheeks. That was the issue with him, wasn't it? If he were any other person, she wouldn't have fallen for him. If she'd keep insisting for him to let go of his ideals, she wouldn't be worthy to call herself a descendant of the royal family. She wouldn't be worthy of calling herself queen.

And as much as she had let go of that title, she remained the leader of her people. She still carried that ideal of the 'queen' with her, and she couldn't sully it.

She leaned over, crawling over the blanket and pushing the food aside to bury her face in the crook of his neck. Her held her.

He was warm. He was holding her tighter than he ever did before. It took her a moment to realize that he, too, was shaking. That he, too, was unnerved and uneasy about the war. When she looked up, she found his face going through a range of emotions, twisting as he tried to hold himself back from showing weakness.

She leaned backwards, grabbing his chin and pulling him closer. He mirrored her action, grabbing her cheeks and leaning into the kiss. It was almost needy. Desperate and animalistic. Before, their kisses had been rather awkward first touches. Those didn't convey the emotions the two felt for each other. By the time they broke apart, their breathing was heavy. Sara's face was full of tears, the stream of them flowing down her face made the next kiss salty.

They broke apart. She wrapped her hands around his neck, knocking him over as she leaned forward again. She was lying on his chest, wiping her tears on his shirt.

"I love you," she said.

Naruto had known 'love'. He understood 'affection'. Yet, as he heard those words, he felt more at peace than ever, and his heart pounded with a force that made him realize just how much her words meant for him.

"I love you," he sai. He kept holding her. There was something different to this love. Something beyond just the closeness of the relationship, and the desire to protect. Despite knowing each other for a few weeks at most, the time they've spent together felt like years. The feelings they had for each other felt like a bond that would kill them if it was ever broken.

He loved her. And for the first time in his entire life, he understood just what 'love' meant.

* * *

When Sara said goodbye at the gates, she did so with a kiss and puffy eyes that couldn't hold back her tears. Kushina was with her, saying her farewell with rather solid hits to both Naruto's and Minato's backs, and a large grin on her face.

Leaving Sara alone with Kushina wasn't as easy as he thought it was. Naruto kept glancing between them, knowing that whatever the older woman was going to do, he would have to live with the fallout.

"I trust you, Naruto," Sara said, holding his hand in both of her's. "I trust you'll come back to me."

"I will," he said. Kushina was watching the scene with glee and no small amount of giggles. While Kakashi was indifferent as ever, and Minato was pretending to be distracted by checking all his scrolls, Obito and Rin had no such reservations. Both of them were red in the face, though Obito kept glancing towards Rin every few seconds. The girl had her eyes fixed on the scene, and only as Naruto and Sara separated she glanced over to Kushina, who gave her an 'OK' sign with her hand and a solid nod.

"Like that," Kushina said. Rin nodded back. They left to destroy Kannabi Bridge.

* * *

In between the past few days in the village, due to the lack of commanding officers, Kakashi had been field-promoted to Jonin. This mission was going to be his trial run on whether or not the title suited him. Being under his command once again felt nostalgic. Naruto had to hold himself back from mentioning that out loud.

Another bit of nostalgia was the signing of the Toad contract.

The way to Kusagakure was a long one. It was about the distance from Konohagakure as it was from Iwagakure, yet it was the fastest way from the Land of Earth to the Land of Fire.

The Land of Grass, and by extent the village of Kusagakure, proclaimed neutrality in the conflict. It was invaded by Iwa, and had been the base of operations. The reports by Jiraiya, which were confirmed by Yamato, had painted a different picture.

"Kusagakure has allied with Iwa, whether it was due to fear of the greater military force or a good deal, we don't know," Minato said. "This mission is of utmost importance. The villages under siege can't be freed unless we cut off the supply lines."

Sieges, Naruto remembered that much from the history lessons, failed as often as they succeeded. It turned out that the logistics involving sieges were quite difficult to maintain, but there was nothing to be gained from slaughtering civilians in the villages. Once they had a foothold on the border, they wouldn't need the Kannabi Bridge anymore, as their new subjects would pay their dues to the new overlords if it kept them alive.

That was what they had to prevent.

"How much resistance are we expecting?" Naruto asked. Obito swallowed, making an audible noise. The younger blond gave him a smile, trying to reassure him.

"It's supposed to be a stealth mission, so the expectation is 'none'," Kakashi said. "But plans never survive contact with the enemy. They'll have a bulk of their force protecting the bridge, and if Kusagakure is backing them up, it might even larger."

"If it's numbers, we have those too," Rin said, looking over to Naruto.

"I want you to keep these," Minato said, handing everyone in the team a three-pronged kunai. "Throw them during an emergency."

"Hiraishin?" Naruto asked, furrowing his brow. Minato smiled. "You're expecting the worst, aren't you?"

"According to Yamato," Minato said, his voice tense. "Expecting the worst is what we should do."

Naruto nodded. If Yamato knew about this mission, there was something going on. Something that was significant enough for the man to have read about, no doubt.

* * *

It was at night, not long after they had crossed the border into Grass territory.

Naruto could hear something as he kept watch during the night. Rustling. Wind. Steps.

Then a large ball of fire gathered in the air, looking more like ignited oil than a Katon Jutsu.

"Ambush!" Naruto shouted. The four other members of his team were out within a second, even the tardy Obito stood at attention. The oily fire rained down on them, but they had more than enough time to dodge. The ninja that came out of the bushes wore no headbands.

"Trying to be subtle in case you fail and we get away?" Minato asked. "That'd work better if you weren't so sloppy. Kusa-style blades could be stolen by Iwa ninja, but that stance is unmistakable."

Kenjutsu was a big thing in four countries. The Land of Water, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Iron and the Land of Grass. While every country had their practitioners of various sword styles, three of these had the most distinct stances. The fourth had Samurai.

Throwing any subtlety out of the window, they rushed at them. Five. Six. Seven of them. No, way more.

"Minato," Naruto said. "There's more in the darkness. I don't want to play our hand now, in case someone escapes, can you take care of them?"

Minato nodded, but before moving looked towards Kakashi. Kakashi nodded as well. The commander had the last say. With a flash, Minato vanished, leaving his four teammates next to their burning camp.

Rin wasn't a great fighter, and as a healer should keep her chakra levels high until she is forced to use ninjutsu.

"Three against seven," Naruto said. He blocked one of the blades with a kunai, watching as two more came from above him. Obito and Kakashi were both occupied with two opponents each.

Kusa shinobi weren't 'strong' in the sense that they had amazing Ninjutsu or their swordplay could rival those of the Samurai, they weren't 'weak' either.

They were mediocre, and those who distinguished themselves often left the village. Compared to the S-rank Shinobi he had fought, these people were jokes.

"Almost not fair, huh?" Obito asked. His voice was shaking, dodging the two swords that flew over his head.

"Save your trash talking for later!" Kakashi barked, kicking one of his opponents away before grabbing the other's hands, stopping the blade just a few centimeters away from his face.

Naruto summoned a clone, letting it grab him by the collar and throw him out of harm's way. It was struck down, but the attack had left all three of his opponents wide open.

He rushed forward, grabbing the two who had struck his clone down by their faces and pushing them into the ground. Their ally jumped backwards, and they soon joined him, two logs on the ground now.

Rin was aiding Obito, who was struggling more than he'd ever admit, and Kakashi was making short work of his opponents. His pride not allowing him to be outdone by a bunch of juniors, Naruto summoned two clones to gather two Rasengan in his hands.

The two clones rushed forward with him, keeping his flanks safe. While two of the Kusa nin were clearly smart enough to not fight an unknown technique head on, the third one attempted to block one of the Rasengan with his blade. The metal twisted with a sickening sound and then shattered, sending the splinters into the man's hands.

Using the momentum, Naruto hit him in the throat and sent him flying, the Rasengan dispersing.

He ducked under two more swings, knocking one of the shinobi down with a sweeping kick. Naruto didn't stand up. Instead, he let himself fall forward, catching himself with his hands and stretched out his leg straight into the man's chin, leaving him disabled after a crunch announced no less than two fractures.

By the time he was done, the others had finished up. The last shinobi standing was shaken by the quick dispatch of his allies, and turned tail to run.

He bumped into Minato, who had appeared behind him with no sound. The man looked a bit roughed up, and his hands were full of blood, which exaggerated his menacing presence fivefold.

"We're going to have a talk," Minato said. The Kusa nin turned his sword around, about to stab himself in the throat. Minato stopped him, his hand gripping the Kusa-nin's hand with a force that made the bones crack in audible noise. "A long, long talk."

* * *

The ninja were strays. One of them reported back to his superiors, no doubt, while the others engaged to kill the team. They didn't expect to be met with the elite that was Minato, or the fact that the kids in his team were quite capable of their own.

The fact that they might be expected, however, was going to force their hand.

"We're going to split up," Kakashi said. He didn't take the commanding post for granted. "Minato-sensei and I will take the path to the right, he can cover the distance faster than anyone, and you three will take the left. We should meet around here, under the bridge in the small valley."

They all nodded. Naruto spoke up. "What if you two need help?"

"If we end up unable to continue, we'll leave it to you," Kakashi said. "The mission is more important than any of us. If we fail, the war is as much as lost."

Naruto wanted to say something about that kind of attitude, but Minato's hand on his arm stopped him. "Understood. Nevertheless, if any of you is in danger, do not hesitate to use the kunai. It's a bit chakra costly at the moment, as I haven't optimized the seal yet, but I should be able to jump to you if you need me."

Kakashi didn't say anything when the other three nodded.

* * *

It was a simple plan, with a billion ways to go wrong.

Ending up in an Iwagakure ambush with five Jonin level shinobi was near the top of the list, right under 'the Tsuchikage personally comes by to take a dump on you'.

However, Minato and Kakashi could still snake their way to the bridge, which meant he had to fight and only use Minato's kunai as a last resort.

When Naruto summoned a hundred clones, his opponents spread out and gathered chakra. Overwhelming his opponent was his go-to, but when his opponents had techniques that could level forests that wasn't easy.

All of the clones threw shuriken and kunai at the Iwa ninjas. Some of those exploded into smoke. Four of the Jonin managed to finish the technique, turning the entire forest into a pit. The fifth one didn't manage to get out of the way quick enough. Naruto had managed to get behind him and personally deliver the Rasengan to his back, sending him flying into the pit, crashing into the ground.

It was weird how a strong opponent could be knocked out with one technique. The Rasengan was strong, and an unexpected attack to one's back was always the most effective way of dispatchment.

 _You're not going to survive this._

A voice nagged in the back of his head. Rin and Obito escaped the pit technique's initial crash, but were sliding down the walls back into it.

 _You're not going to see her again, and you'll take those two with you into an early grave_.

"Shut up."

The clones were all destroyed. So what? He summoned five dozen more. The Jonin understood that he was the biggest threat, which also made Rin and Obito the easiest targets.

 _You're a loving and caring idiot, you accepted the worst in you, so let's talk._

"Shut up, I'm thinking."

Naruto gathered his thoughts. Four shinobi, all of them which he could take if they were alone, and only with a lot of effort together.

That'd be one thing. But doing so while protecting Obito and Rin was another. Doing so while fighting in this pit was worse still. The walls were laced in chakra, making escaping until they were dealt with hard.

The last resort was the kunai, but the bridge had to fall, and if they were ambushed, maybe Kakashi and Minato had their own problem. Naruto clicked his tongue. Him and his clones gathered inside the pit, surrounding Obito and Rin to keep them safe.

"You're a fucking moron," the fox said. Naruto grimaced.

He'd have to hold them off until the bridge was done.

He could do that.

With five quick signs and a bit of blood, he slapped his hand onto the ground and found himself standing on top of Gamahiro, who wasn't quite the size he was in the future, but still considerable enough.

If he made too much of a ruckus, reinforcements might come. He had to play it cool, make them think they had it in the bag. Keep them busy.

"I'm sorry, Gamahiro-san," Naruto said. "But we're in a rather bad situation, you think you can help out?"

"I've heard you drank Gamabunta under the table the day you signed the contract," Gamahiro said. Uzumaki metabolism was great for that. "Let us drink together one day."

The toad pulled two blades off his back. Naruto coughed. "I need you to get those two out of harm's way, I can fight them alone."

Gamahiro croaked, understanding what was at stake. "I'll trust in you, then."

"Thank you," Naruto said. The toad with a clone army on his head would not let any harm come to those two. The Iwa nins wouldn't face him head-on, considering his size, and would try to take out his summoner instead. "Come and get some, I don't care if you're four or a hundred! I'll beat all of your asses!"

* * *

He did.

It was a savage beating, and he ended up coming out of it bloody and with no small amount of exhaustion.

In the end, two of the four were still standing, looking way worse than him. Any other time fighting four Jonin-level ninja and coming out victorious with a handicap would've been cause for celebration. In his exhaustion, however, Gamahiro had dispelled. As Rin rushed forward to heal him, Naruto held up a hand.

It was the air. He could smell it.

Fire and brimstone. An explosion echoed in the distance. That short moment of hesitation was a mistake. The remaining Iwa nin used the last bits of their chakra to dispel the pit.

The ensuing landslide was almost silent, an elaborate technique. The Jonin collapsed. If the Chakra exhaustion hadn't killed them, the burial under the earth would. Obito and Rin grabbed Naruto, trying to get him out.

Naruto pulled out Minato's kunai and threw it. The man arrived, Kakashi on his arm. The boy looked beaten down and singed, but otherwise fine.

"Minato!" Naruto shouted. "Get these two out of here!"

Minato did so without hesitation. His movement was slower than usual, delayed. He was exhausted as well, if they had been met with an ambush like theirs he could've taken the enemy apart, but still used a lot of chakra in doing so.

It was no surprise to Naruto that Minato took his words to heart and made sure his team made it out first. The landslide wasn't normal. It wasn't simply earth that folded over itself to bury him, but small stones which were like tiny blades as they rolled over him. The feeling reminded him the Rasenshuriken, yet still worse.

Naruto screamed in pain. Minato's hand was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.

* * *

"I'm so useless," Obito said, his face buried in his knees. Rin was comforting him. Kakashi wasn't looking any better, his eyes not leaving the still form of Naruto.

His plan had failed, because he didn't respect his opponent's strength. Naruto had the Kyuubi inside of him, but playing that card so early in this war was… foolish. Kyuubi seemed to be even less cooperative since they had landed here than usual.

Naruto knew that. He held back, and still came out victorious, Obito and Rin were unharmed while he took the brunt of the attack.

Minato was unconscious as well, though he managed to teleport them as far away from the Iwa border as possible before collapsing in exhaustion. While he was going to be up by tomorrow morning, it was hard to tell with Naruto.

"I hesitated and I wasn't strong enough," Obito said. Kakashi twitched. "I'm so…"

Kakashi stood up, moving to Obito. The boy looked up at him, his eyes full of tears. "Shut up!"

Kakashi's shout was accompanied by a savage punch that sent Obito rolling over the ground. The boy looked up again, no fire in his eyes. Nothing but absolute darkness. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize to me, you… you... " Kakashi hesitated, clearly uncertain about the appropriate word for this situation. "You utter asshole, he fought to keep you safe not because you're useless, but because you're his precious comrade!"

Rin got between them, crying. "Please stop."

"Shut up," Kakashi said, his voice harsh. "This needs to be said-"

"Don't talk to her like that," Obito said, getting angry. "She's not to blame-"

"If you were useless, you both were," Kakashi said. Rin flinched, understanding why Kakashi was being so cruel, but clearly still unhappy about it. "We're making haste for Konoha, if you want to apologize to him stop crying and help him get better!"

Rin had tried to heal the wounds on his legs, but was unable to do much besides stop the bleeding. It was a rather gruesome display, a technique made to rip someone to shreds and make sure they lived through as much of it as possible. It was the kind of cruel technique that would be declared forbidden outside of war times.

And Naruto had survived it, which meant that his pain was far, far above what anyone could imagine.

Through her sobs, Rin had a thought that hit her much harder than the fact that she couldn't heal him. Not a proper healing.

She'd have to explain to Sara and Kushina what had happened, and that she couldn't help him.

"Stop fighting," she said again, falling to her knees. "Please."

Her pleading made Kakashi stop. Obito deflated, though the words of his teammate roused him out of his slump. Kakashi wasn't wrong.

It just didn't make him feel any less useless.


	7. For Our Future

**The Future Has Passed**

 **Chapter 7: For ouf Future**

* * *

"I told you, you were a fucking moron," Kyuubi said. Naruto furrowed his brows, watching the caged beast. "You absolute reprobate. You're no better than a gorilla."

"Something's wrong."

"You did something beyond stupid and got hurt for it, it's amazing you were able to hold back. My chakra would've made short work of them."

"And alerted every patrol in the area, balls deep in Stone territory," Naruto said. "Don't think I didn't notice that you weren't pushing me either. You wanted this to happen."

Kyuubi grinned at him. "I don't need you to fall for me anymore."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, his body tense. Kyuubi was far from generous and even further from placid. If there was something it had in mind for him, it would be better to get it out of the way as fast as possible.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. The beast's grin widened.

"I don't need to get out of here anymore," Kyuubi said. "There's a version of me, twice as strong and more than happy enough to break its chains eventually. I don't need to keep your sorry ass alive."

"So when I was injured, you didn't heal me?"

"You're an Uzumaki," it said. "You'll heal."

Its grin turned feral. Disgusting and gleeful. Absolute and utter dedication to contempt.

"But," it began again, "it'll be painful and slow. Picking a fight with four shinobi on their hometurf? Dumb. Letting yourself get trapped inside a technique of that scale to protect those two weaklings? You deserve what you get."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Hmph. I thought you'd know me better by now. You know why I couldn't have let them get hurt."

"Because you're a retard," Kyuubi said. "And because you have no regard for your safety. I'm still impressed you managed to get this far without borrowing my power, but what's the use now, hm?"

Naruto fell over, his legs feeling numb. Kyuubi laughed. "What happened to my legs?"

"I'm no medic, but I know your body better than anyone," it said. Naruto shuddered. "And your legs have some pretty severe nerve damage. Remember that month you spent fucked up in the hospital after you got stabbed in the chest? This is gonna feel worse."

Naruto gritted his teeth. Of course it'd taunt him and mock his weakness. Naruto gripped the ground, pushing himself away from it and forcing himself on his legs. He gave the fox a defiant glare, and held up a single finger.

"As long as I live," Naruto said, his voice tense. "I'll keep standing. And if you take away my limbs, I'll use my teeth to fight! You're not going to beat me down with words!"

The fox was silent, its eyes moving over Naruto's shaking form with an unreadable expression on its face. "I can respect your tenacity. I can't respect your reasoning. Your blind trust will get you killed."

It wasn't a prediction. To Kyuubi, that was a fact. Naruto grinned, spreading his arms wide. "It'll be a pleasure to convince you of the opposite. We're going to roll for a long time."

* * *

The fox wasn't kidding. He woke up in agony, his legs feeling like they were shoved through a meat grinder, and then turned into paste. A quick glance down showed that he still had them, though they were bandaged and hard to move.

Another thing he noticed were two rather obtuse tubes in his mouth, reaching all the way down to his lungs. He ripped them out, taking a deep breath only to cough due to a sore and very, very dry throat.

A nurse entered the room, hitting a button on the wall. It didn't take long for two doctors to come in, with a gaggle of nurses behind them.

"Naruto-san, please stay calm," one of the doctors said. "You're in the Konohagakure main clinic. Please, try not to move."

Naruto's coughs grew weaker. He nodded, leaning down onto the bed again. The doctors checked him over with medical techniques, the green glow feeling warm and replenishing small amounts of chakra. His legs, however, made him want to scream.

Fortunately, he had a high pain tolerance. When they handed him a bit of water, and he drank it all with greedy gulps, the next noise that came out of his mouth was a crude grunt.

They started to ask questions, and he answered. It was hard focusing on them. He had other things to worry about. Like Sara.

By the end of the check-up, they told him he might not be able to walk again.

He told them to go fuck themselves.

* * *

He woke up to a soft hand holding his own. It wasn't a special scene of them embracing each other, running into each other's arms with the sunset in the background.

It was late at night. Until the doctors confirmed he was up for it, she must've been barred from entering, officially he had no immediate family after all.

He opened his eyes slowly, turning his hand to hold hers. She looked up to his face, her eyes red and puffy. Despite the darkness, he could make out everything. She had been crying a lot, no doubt, and it was his fault.

When she moved forward, putting her hand on his chest and then further to wrap him up in an one armed hug, it was clear to him just what was going on. Her approach was tainted with fear and every careful inch further betrayed her thoughts.

She thought he would break if she touched him wrong. Naruto wrapped his own arm around her back and pulled her onto him, embracing her with a ferocity that he didn't know he had in him.

"I'm home," he whispered into her ear, his voice raw. She choked out a sob, nodding into shoulder.

"Welcome home."

* * *

Sara couldn't stay with him all the time, no matter how much she wanted. When he insisted she had to keep up her duties as queen of Roran, she accepted his reasoning begrudgingly. She wouldn't be his only visitor.

Kushina was first. Her eyes had lost that bright glow they usually had. She was worried, but unlike Sara she was better at hiding it.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he lied. "Will be up in no time."

There was a pang of worry. A bit of guilt when she nodded. He shook his head, a small, strained smile on his lips. "I know what they said."

She glanced off, not willing to meet his eye.

"I don't care," he continued. She looked at him, her eyes widening. Pushing his thumb into his chest, he gave her the largest smile he could muster and made a promise. "I'm going to walk again, even if I have to crawl out of the gates on my hands to get Tsunade to heal me."

That was one of the possible healers that could help him, after all. She had done the same to Lee.

Kushina's eyes widened further, and she mirrored his smile. "You don't need to!"

Naruto blinked. "Sorry, what?"

"I'll do it," she said, the fire in her eyes now back. "She owes me one and I'm sure I can cash in that favor, don't worry, Naruto!"

He nodded, giving her a hug when she came closer. "Thank you, Nee-chan."

* * *

A week later, he was on his feet. 'Never walk again' his ass. Then again, he could take all of two steps before his legs couldn't take it anymore. So until Tsunade came by to take a look, he'd have a long way to go.

His next new visitor came on that day, finding him out of his bed trying to crawl back up. It was Rin.

Minato threw himself into mission after mission, unable to make time. He felt responsible as well, and took responsibility by wanting to end the war. Kakashi had been leading different teams, and aided in the effort to break the sieges on the villages now that the enemy was cut off from their supply lines.

Rin and Obito had been given an extended leave.

Kushina said the reasoning was that they were… psychologically unfit. A designation that would be ignored in the worst case scenario, but the war had been looking up and Konoha was fighting back with such a ferocity that it was unlikely to come up.

When Rin saw him on the ground, she rushed to help him. He held up a hand, making her flinch back.

Forcing himself to stand and get rid of that pitiful appearance, he sat down onto his bed and gave her a smile. "It's nice to see you again, Rin."

Rin gave him a hug as well. It wasn't like Kushina's or Sara's, it was not one that said 'affection' or 'love'. It was one of shaking shoulders and desperate crying. A 'sorry'. A 'this is my fault'.

"I don't blame you," Naruto said. Rin stilled. He patted her on her back. "I've been hurt just as badly in the past, because I've protected people close to me. There's no way I could blame anyone for this."

Maybe the fox that refused to aid his efforts to get better. Then again, him not using the grumpy monster's chakra was a gamble so the mission could go off without a hitch. A gamble that paid off.

"If we were strong like Kakashi, this wouldn't have happened," Rin said. Naruto shook his head.

"There's no use comparing yourself to others, just keep on improving yourself," he said. "I'd have died if it wasn't for your first aid. Thank you, Rin."

He had to deal with too many crying women lately. His eyes moved towards the door, giving a knowing smile.

"I don't blame you either, Obito," Naruto said. A noise announced the young shinobi that had tried to hide outside the room. Like a child that got busted doing something it shouldn't have, he shuffled into the room. The boy was wearing his goggles, trying to hide his tears.

"It's my fault, though," Obito said.

Naruto sighed. "Do me a favor," he said. "Come here."

Obito did, refusing to look him in the eye. Naruto reached out, and even though Obito flinched, his feet didn't move. Grabbing one of his cheeks with two fingers, he pinched him hard. Obito yelped, making Rin let go of Naruto and looked at what was happening.

"Those shinobi who break the rules are trash!" Naruto said, his voice loud. "But those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash! If you want to blame anyone for this, blame _war_. Blame _greed_. Hell, blame the idiots who approved of a mission this vital with a team that had two cute little Chunin instead of the Sannin-"

Which was the Hokage. Naruto gave both of their outraged looks a large grin. "But if you blame yourselves, I'm going to beat you up until you don't. I don't care if I can barely walk."

Rin looked like she was about to say something, so he moved his free hand to Rin's cheek and pinched as well. The girl yelped.

"N-Naruto!" Obito said, taking a step away from the young man. "Please, teach me how to be strong!"

Obito bowed.

Naruto blinked. While the boy had requested training from him before, he hadn't done so with such earnesty. Rin looked between them, her cheek still stretched.

"I don't think I'll do a better job than Minato," Naruto said. "But I'll teach you what I know."

Obito smiled, raising his goggles and rubbing the tears out of his eyes. Naruto stopped himself from reacting to the sight. "Sharingan, huh?"

Obito blinked, giving him a firm nod.

"I got it when… when you were buried and saved us."

"I knew an Uchiha once," Naruto said. "He was obsessed with power, he went as far to betray the people who loved him to get stronger. He was wrong."

"Of course he was wrong!" Obito said, his voice tense. The boy stomped his leg on the ground, throwing a fist to the side. "The people who love you are your strength, if you lose them you'll always stay weak!"

Naruto smiled. So did Rin, though it looked rather comedic due to Naruto's pinching.

"Kushina's still looking for Tsunade, right?" Naruto asked. Both of the Chunin nodded. Naruto's smile widened. Of course. Things were going to look up soon.

* * *

"Naruto."

Sara was with him again. Today the doctors allowed him to eat something solid, so she had brought a bunch of food cooked by the others with her. They ate in silence, Naruto taking care not to choke himself. It just tasted too good.

"Yesh?" he asked, a sandwich in his mouth. She let him swallow before continuing.

"You nearly died," she said. He swallowed again, trying to find his voice to reassure her. "I know why, Rin and Obito came to me, apologizing, and I know you don't blame them. I can't either. It's just in your nature."

"I told you I'd come back."

"And what if you don't?" she asked, her voice heated. "What if you don't come back next time? Look at yourself, you can't stand without help-"

He grabbed her cheeks, trying to calm her. She slapped his hands aside, a mixture of dread and fury glistening in her eyes. "Listen up-"

"Sara-"

"Shut up," she said, grabbing the collar of his hospital gown. "I'm not going to hesitate, I don't care if this is going to too fast for you!"

"What-"

"Shut uuuup," she said, shaking him back and forth, her previous fear of hurting him gone. Her voice grew more tense. "We've went through so much shit, y-you asshole!"

Cursing? Sara, of all people? Kushina might've rubbed off on her more than he'd like.

"So for once stop trying to reassure me and let me make a decision," she said. He blinked, shutting his mouth. She smiled, grabbing a box from inside her robes and throwing it onto his lap. "Propose to me."

It took him a bit to process her words. He looked back and forth between the box and the girl, not capable of voicing his thoughts. It was a jumbled mess, and despite everything it was the one thing that made sense today.

He pushed her away, holding the box in his hand. When he moved off the bed, she tried to stop him, but his smile stopped her. He moved his legs onto the ground with a deliberate and slow pace, struggling to stand, but much more confident than he had been the past few tries.

Lowering himself to his knee, he held up the box and opened it. She leaned down and kissed him.


	8. Peace

**The Future Has Passed**

 **Chapter 8: Peace**

* * *

When Kushina came back to the village, she did so bruised, exhausted and with Tsunade in chains.

It hasn't been that long since the Sannin had left the village, and she was without a doubt one of the strongest ninja on the continent. According to Shizune even the Tailed Beasts couldn't have stopped Kushina from dragging Tsunade back.

The mountain that was blown up during the fight had been blamed on Iwa, like most things during this war.

Tsunade had still refused. Though she was back in the village she had sworn to never turn back towards, they couldn't force her to heal anyone. Tsunade wasn't a woman that honored her debts, and the favor that Kushina wanted to cash in wasn't going to change that.

Jiraiya trying to convince her was unexpected. It looked like it would get through her, but in the end she was left drinking alone in a bar, the young girl she had adopted as her student waiting outside.

It was Sara who had made the latest attempt.

She was sitting on the hard floor next to the table, her gaze lowered.

"I don't care what it costs," Sara said. "No matter what you ask of me. Please, Tsunade-sama, heal him."

Tsunade looked irritated, and quite drunk. When her hand reached out towards Sara, the shinobi inside the bar tensed, some of them looking ready to jump in to protect the civilian just in case.

"I know why Kushina wants to heal him," Tsunade said. "I can gather why Jiraiya wants it, but who are you?"

Her nail was pressed into Sara's forehead. The girl's eyes had fire in them.

"I'm his fiancée," Sara said. Tsunade grimaced, the word causing her to drop her hand from the girl's face and grab another bottle. "He was hurt on a mission protecting this country. This village. Does that mean nothing to you?"

"There's nothing but grief found here," Tsunade said. "You want what's best for him? Don't let him be a shinobi and just drag him out. Have a peaceful life in some village as far away from Konoha as possible."

The patrons flinched. The sheer disrespect for Konohagakure coming from one of the heroes of the previous war stung.

Yet, her reasons for doing so were not much of a secret. She was grieving, for she had lost the last of her family, and being forced back here clearly didn't help her mood any.

"If I were to do that," Sara said. "I wouldn't be worthy of being by his side."

"Then watch him die," Tsunade said. Sara flinched. "Let him struggle and he'll realize you were right when his luck runs out."

"He told me about you," Sara whispered. Tsunade twitched, understanding the implications. Kushina hadn't told her everything, but if Naruto was from the future, then perhaps she was still around. Sara grabbed something under her collar, lifting it off her neck. A necklace?

Not just any necklace.

Sara put the necklace, the exact same necklace as she wore around her neck, on the ground. Putting her palms on the ground, she prostrated, her forehead touching the floor.

"He told me that underneath all that grief, there's a woman who wants nothing more than keep people safe," Sara said, her voice cracking up. She was shaking. "He said more than anyone, you were like a mother to him and there was nobody who had earned the benefit of the doubt more than you."

Tsunade's eyes were fixed on the necklace. For her to give it to someone…

"It's the most valuable thing I have left," Sara said, sobbing onto the ground. "I don't care if he hates me for giving it away if you accept this as a payment."

The whispers were incoherent in between the sobs, but among the spectators, the scene has caused many blurred visions and no few amount of tears.

Tsunade picked up the necklace off the ground, leaving the bar. Sara didn't stand up for minutes after, until a young girl entered. The girl put a hand on the young woman's shoulder.

"Please raise your head," the girl said, her voice quiet. "Tsunade-sensei isn't a cruel woman, I'm sorry you're…"

Sara raised her head, her hair looking like an absolute mess and her face wet with tears. The hard wood that made up the ground was soaked. The young girl put her arms around Sara.

* * *

Namikaze Minato returned from his latest mission looking like he had bathed in blood.

He did so right after finishing it - the Hiraishin was perfected. It was tested, proper and powerful. It was a harrowing experience. Minato had counted them all; every man and woman, every child that was in the force that he was forced to kill to protect his country and village. To protect his future.

Seven-hundred and eighty-three. That's how many he took apart before the rest fled, the words of their commanders falling to deaf ears. They called him the grim reaper. He didn't even feel tired.

When he was satisfied with being clean, he stepped out of the shower to find Kushina waiting for him. The woman embraced him, planting a kiss on his lips before putting her head on his shoulder.

"I heard you brought Tsunade back," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. She nodded. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Yes," Kushina said. "Sara convinced her to heal him. There's big news, too."

"Big news?"

It would turn out that only a day later the news would spread over the continent, the Land of Water and the Land of Fire had entered an alliance. The Land of Lightning, which had observed the conflict and participated in minor skirmishes, had withdrawn completely.

It would turn out that only a week later, the Third would announce his retirement, and the Fourth Hokage would be chosen.

It would turn out that Iwagakure's great loss led to the nobles declaring an end to the war, or they would face sanctions. Though it would take weeks longer for the actual fighting to end, the Third War had been by far the shortest of them all.

But all that paled in comparasion to the important things.

"Naruto and Sara are getting married," Kushina said. And just like that, Minato's eyes brightened, and the weight of the world fell off his shoulders. For just a moment, Minato could see the future.

The future of peace, standing by the side of his family.

* * *

Naruto stood in front of a mirror in his underwear. His legs were bandaged up, the special material made from oils of the slug gardens would aid the recovery. Tsunade's surgery had taken well over fifty hours before she finished it. It was long, bloody, painful, and he had to be awake during all of it.

He had absolutely no mind to complain, however. Now that he could stand on his own two legs again. While recovery to the point where he could return to being an active shinobi was going to take a while, there was peace now.

For how long was uncertain. Though Minato's efforts were no doubt going to move towards an era in which the five nations wouldn't keep going with their wars and the senseless bloodshed, whether he would succeed was up in the air.

It wasn't being a shinobi that he needed those legs for, however.

Dressing himself, Naruto moved out of his apartment. Today was the day the refugee district was finished. Houses had been built, and the people of Roran could now move into the newly named Roran District.

The dozen or so Genin tasked with helping the relocation looked as happy as he did during his D-rank missions. He saw her there, standing among them, giving each one a glass of lemonade.

Walking down the stairs and enjoying the lack of pain, he sneaked up on them. With a quick movement, he grabbed Sara from behind, holding her close to him and putting his chin on her shoulder. She nearly dropped the tray she was holding.

"Naruto!" she said. "Don't sneak up on me-"

"You just look so vulnerable," he said, smiling. The Genin, young and innocent, looked confused and weirded out. "I just want to kidnap you and lock you up in a castle-"

"Wait until we move into the house and you can do whatever you want."

Naruto grinned. "Whatever I want, yes?"

Sara blushed, giving the tray to one of the Genin before turning around. She pinched his sides, making him try to move away, but his arms were still snaked around her, every pinch and tickle making him draw her closer.

"S-stop that," he said, laughing. The Genin laughed at him. "We still have a date today, don't make me fall and ruin my clothes."

"Hmph," she said, taking pity on him. "If you can bother me while we're moving, you can help out. I heard Jiraiya was back and he was boasting about that amazing wedding planner he knew."

Naruto flushed, remembering the upcoming date. It was still months until the actual wedding, but the planning had to be done much earlier, of course. "I'll go find him, then."

* * *

The Third Mizukage, the Third Hokage and the Third Kazekage sat together, drinking tea. Behind them, two young men and a much younger looking boy stood at attention.

"We've all chosen our successors based on the results of this war, haven't we?" the Mizukage said. Hiruzen smiled, giving him a nod.

"We're moving into a new era," Hiruzen said. "I'm old, so I have my excuses. You two have much more noble causes."

"Things are rapidly changing," the Kazekage sad. "In the choice between the butcher Sasori and Rasa the Golden, it was clear who to choose."

Minato glanced over to the man. Rasa looked plain, but there was something in his eyes that made it clear just how true the Third Kazekage's words were. However…

"Your choice of a successor has been rather interesting, to say the least," Hiruzen said, glancing over at the boy.

"I'm not giving over the hat just yet," the Mizukage said. "I'll groom Yagura to be the man Kirigakure needs, and I will bring him with me to these meetings so he understands that we need to stand with our allies."

"Wouldn't you say allies is a strong word?" the Kazekage said. Rasa twitched. The Mizukage shook his head.

"I think that we're closer than ever to an era of peace. It must be ironic coming from me, the ruler of the Bloody Mist, but it is from our mistakes we learn, not from our successes."

"Spoken like a true leader," Hiruzen said. The Kazekage nodded.

"Iwagakure is cowed," Yagura said, his voice tense. "Kumogakure quit the war as quickly as they joined. Is it not the time to strike?"

The Mizukage shook his head. Instead of answering, he glanced over to Minato and Rasa.

"No," Minato said. "Because this chain of war and hatred can't be broken if we don't learn how to forgive. Even the Great Wars were nothing compared to the Warring Clans period. If we follow the footsteps of our ancestors and make peace, I believe that one day the villages can coexist just as the clans can in the villages they have joined."

"And if they refuse the peace," Rasa said. "We have a bond so strong that they will regret it."

"I'm not giving up on peace," Minato said, putting a hand on his chest. "There's nothing wrong with wanting a future for our children in which they can grow up smiling. I will send diplomats to Kumo. We will find peace."

"You know," the Third Kazekage said, rubbing his chin. "If you say it like that, it almost makes me want to believe you."

Minato smiled at him. "Believe me. There's no one who knows what the future holds for us like me."

There was no way he would let his son and his grandchildren grow up in a world of strife.

There is no way he would let himself be killed and fail to realize the dream of his teacher.

There _will_ be peace.

"To speak of peace with such bloody hands," Yagura said. "How can you be so confident?"

Minato smiled at him. "Because I refuse to give up, and I never go back on my word. That's my Nindo."


	9. Matrimony

**The Future Has Passed**

 **Chapter 9: Matrimony**

* * *

There was a certain saying in the Land of Earth: 'In darkness, it is the earth that grants us solace.'

In modern times, it has been interpreted in various different ways. In the end, scholars had settled on one interpretation in particular: As long as you have your feet square on the ground, no matter the circumstances, things will start to look up.

While the saying might have been meant more literally in the past, as the belief in various gods was far more widespread than it was now, it was a phrase still uttered instead of 'good luck'.

When Onoki heard that the adoptive brother, though the resemblance was uncanny, of the Fourth Hokage was getting married, he stared at the various letters delivered by diplomats.

Onoki tired of it all. He tired of fire and brimstone. He tired of bloodshed and cries of orphaned children. He tired of warmongering nobles and bloodthirsty clan heads. However, he could not accept peace with such ease.

He could, however, extend an olive branch.

Taking a piece of cloth off the wall, he looked at it. A traditional weaved image of the three old gods of the Land of Earth, the matrimony of the Great Three, as it was called. He folded it, and began to write a letter.

In darkness, it is the earth that grants us solace.

Summoning one of his ninja, he handed them both the cloth and the letter.

"This is a wedding gift," he said. "Leave it with the first Konoha ninja you find, don't start anything."

The woman did not question why or what. She accepted the task, and was on her way. Onoki looked out of his window, down at the village that was still recovering from the misery of defeat. The beaten down and half-starved people who would hold grudges beyond what he could contain.

Maybe it was time to retire. But he couldn't let the fires of war ignite again. Not so soon.

Until he had a successor he could trust, the hat was going to sit right where it was - on the crown of his head, as it had done for decades.

* * *

It was the first wedding of the village since the end of the war, and the fact that Naruto had been recognized as one of the heroes of it, responsible for turning the tides at Kannabi Bridge together with his adoptive big brother and the team Kakashi, led to a great deal of buzz.

Of course, nobody was as nervous as Naruto himself.

He was pacing up and down the room, quite literally as part of his recovery was to walk on walls to get his legs used to the strain.

"If you don't calm down," Minato said, "I might have to call Kushina to get you down. You don't want that."

Naruto dropped off the ceiling, looking around. "Don't tell me you were calm during your wedding."

"Me? Never," Minato said, laughing. "I was worse than you, Kushina personally dragged me out of the room to make sure I wasn't going to pussy out."

Naruto chuckled, checking the clock in the room again. Only ten more minutes.

"Did you expect things would come to this?" Naruto asked. Minato had a small smile on his lips, but didn't answer. "There's this weird feeling in my chest, this fear that I had of losing myself, it's gone now."

"I think it's been gone since you've decided to stay," Minato said. "You've held up quite well, considering everything."

"I wouldn't have without you," Naruto said. His gaze downwards, his smile turned strained. "Without Kushina, and Sara, and everything went so well because of the captain's info…"

"Don't sell yourself short," Minato said, putting an arm around Naruto's shoulder. "And stop looking so grim. It's your wedding day. It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life."

Naruto coughed, looking towards the clock again. Still nine more minutes.

"Things will be fine," Minato assured. "Whether it's peace or your marriage, I have no doubt everything will be alright."

"You say that with such confidence," Naruto said. "But there's still Orochimaru, the Akatsuki - I need to get well soon."

"You need to focus on your wedding," Minato said. "I'm not joking, I can call Kushina right now and we're both going to regret it, you more so than me."

"Alright, alright, jeez," Naruto said, raising his hands in surrender. "Forgive me for being nervous, Yondaime-sama."

"Ugh, I won't ever get used to that," Minato said. "Can't deny that the look suits me."

"Nee-chan's really been enjoying it too, huh?" Naruto asked. Minato's face grew red. Naruto grinned at him. "Oh boy, are you using it in roleplay? She did say she was-"

Minato slapped a hand on Naruto's mouth, giving him a most dangerous smile.

"Speaking about this is forbidden on the pains of death," Minato said. He almost managed to sound serious. Naruto laughed into his hand, his shoulders shaking in mirth. "You're going to regret this."

He let go of Naruto's mouth, the young man giving him a pitying look. "Just do me a favor and try to wash the robes so your secretary doesn't see them."

Minato shook his head, pushing Naruto down with the arm still slung over his shoulder. Naruto laughed, shaking with mirth.

" _Hokage-sama, what's that smell?_ " Naruto asked, his voice high-pitched, trying to imitate the elderly woman that held the position since Hiruzen took the seat. Minato flushed, putting his knuckles on Naruto's head and grinding them over his skin.

"You don't want to pull this with me, I'm not afraid to fight a cripple-"

"That's ableist!" Naruto shouted. "Help! I'm being assaulted by a pervert! Help!"

Kushina opened the door, the pleasant smile on her face making both of the men shiver. Minato let go of Naruto, letting the him stand up. "H-hey, Nee-chan."

"I don't want any weird rumors spreading today, so listen up," Kushina said, sounding every bit as dangerous as she did when she started planning the wedding. "Move your ass out there and make her happy or I swear to the gods-"

Naruto was already out the door. Kushina chuckled when he stumbled next to her, but didn't give her a second glance. Minato was still frozen.

"Now, dear," Kushina said. "I guess it's time to take our seats, right?"

Minato nodded, letting her drag him out.

* * *

The wedding was big. Traditionally, the ceremony was held on temple grounds, and only close family members were allowed to join during the actual ceremony. The reception afterwards would've been open to all, but tradition had nothing to do with this.

To Sara, the people of Roran were her family. To Naruto, Konohagakure was his home. In the end, they've settled for a simple approach. Konohagakure was their temple.

He didn't like the clothes, but that was the one thing they couldn't compromise on. The black hakama sat comfortable, but it didn't feel like him. All that was forgotten when he saw her, right at the village gates, dressed in a pure white kimono with a headdress that framed her face perfectly.

There was no music. Only cheers. They walked through the gate, down the streets surrounded by flower petals and people. All the way on the roofs and in the windows they watched. Naruto and Sara stood side by side, every step in tandem, every movement in sync. It was clear to everyone watching just how close these two were.

In the end, they arrived in front of the Hokage's tower. It had been prepared just for today, a place for the ceremony. Minato sat there, wearing his Hokage robes. Hiruzen was there as well, sitting next to Kushina, Jiraiya and Tsunade. On the other side, Minato's students sat, watching the proceedings.

It was tradition to first have the ceremonial drinks after the gods have been called, but there was no gods who had to witness this. This was their wedding.

Naruto turned to Sara, giving her a bright smile. A smile so wide it could've split his face in half.

"You're my pillar," he said, beginning his vows. They were the words he spoke to her all those months ago, and they were still as strong today as they were back then. "When everything under me fell apart and I had nobody to support me, you were there and gave me a place by your side. There is no place I'd rather be, and no time I'd rather live in than here and now."

It was as much a vow as it was an announcement to whatever powers that be.

Nothing was going to ruin this for him.

"I'll pay you back for all you've done for me with a life full of happiness," Naruto promised. Sara took his hand into her own. Kushina was crying tears of joy. "Thank you, Sara. For giving me everything I've ever wanted."

Acknowledgement. Family. Tsunade stood up, carrying two small boxes. She approached the couple with a sad smile on her lips. When she arrived, she knelt next to Minato and put the two boxes onto the table.

"May the Will of Fire burn bright for you and your children," she said. She opened the boxes. The necklaces of the First Hokage sat there. Naruto's eyes widened, rising to meet Tsunade's gaze.

He knew what Sara had done, of course. He also knew that Tsunade accepted it as payment. Or perhaps she had kept it safe, knowing this day would come.

Why she'd give them her own necklace, though, was beyond him. He smiled at her, bowing.

"Thank you," he said.

* * *

The reception was a village-wide party. Music started playing, people danced in the streets. Naruto and Sara joined them all. The wedding was as much their happiness as it was a sign for a better future. The night was coming to an end, and one message went out to everyone.

Konohagakure stood strong, and in the middle of that stood a queen and her shinobi, her husband.

"My king," Sara said, holding the sides his head. She lifted herself up on her toes, planting a kiss on his lips. "There's a castle waiting for us."

Naruto hugged her, lifting her up. He all but ran towards the Roran district, the first house on the left.

It was plain, about the size of his parent's home, but it was theirs. They had moved in together the moment the district was opened, but today was different. Today they were husband and wife.

He carried her into the home, up the stairs, into their bedroom. After seventeen years of his life, Naruto had found peace that defies absolute peace. Love which exceeds absolute love.

He kissed her. She kissed him. The night was much, much longer.


	10. EPILOGUE

**The Future Has Passed**

 **Epilogue**

* * *

"It's almost time, isn't it?"

Naruto opened one eye, glancing towards the small clock next to his bed. He was lying in bed, it was warm, his wife was on top of him and he wasn't going to move his ass out even if the world was ending.

"Naruto…"

He groaned. "Yes, it's time."

She rolled off him, ruining the perfect moment of zen. He groaned again, sitting up and turning around, his feet touching the ground.

"Sara," he said. "Is this going to be every morning?"

"It's not my fault she can't wake up on her own," Sara said. "If you teach her how to, I'm sure we can spend more time in the morning."

Naruto shrugged, moving out of the bed and stretching. "You or me today?"

"Your turn."

Naruto nodded, walking out of the bedroom towards the room at the end of the hall. With one swift motion, he ripped the door open and shouted.

"Uzumaki Seramu!"

The girl that was sleeping in bed jumped up, hitting the ceiling. She stuck on it, her hands and feet almost glued to it. She made a noise somewhere between a hiss and a groan. "You could wake me up more gently, idiot father!"

Naruto smiled at her, giving her a thumbs up. "And miss you going wild like that? No way."

Seramu looked so much like Kushina, people wondered whether Naruto's adoptive brother title was just a lie made up to hide something bigger. The girl had his looks, of course, but she inherited her mother's hair.

Though Sara had insisted they named her after his mother, Naruto was certain that it had to be named after her's. The woman who had given her everything for her country would live on in their hearts, and her name would be carried by their daughter.

"You know what today is, right?" Naruto asked. Seramu blinked, dropping down from the ceiling and bouncing off her bed a few times.

"Right," she said, smiling at him. "Academy days, here I come-"

"Breakfast and washing up first," he said. She crossed her arms, grumbling. "Believe me, you'll regret skipping a meal by the time you're there. Academy's not just fun and games."

It's mostly learning, until you get to the practical lessons.

That's when it's mostly fun and games.

It was hard to lie to her, so she was aware of it already.

"Menma-nii's going to go too, right?" she asked. Naruto nodded. "But he's not in my class?"

"Year above you," Naruto reminded her. "Of course, if you're as great as your handsome father, they might put you in the class above-"

"Handsome?" Seramu asked, scoffing. "What kind of person talks about themselves like that, grow up."

Naruto stuck his tongue out. "Sara, your daughter's mean to me, she called me ugly!"

"Now, now," Sara said, poking her head out of the bedroom. "You shouldn't say such cruel things to your father, he might be a bit arrogant but there's nothing wrong with that."

"It's not arrogance if it's true dammit," Naruto said, skulking out of the room. "Everyone's so mean to me. Only Menma looks up to his uncle."

"Impressing him is the easiest thing," Seramu said, grinning at him. "Maybe if you were cooler I'd be impressed too."

"Maybe if you were cuter you'd have found a boyfriend already," Naruto said, grumbling. Seramu ran at him, trying to kick him in the back of his knees. He dodged, letting her slide over the ground until she hit the wall on the other side of the room.

"I'm too young!" she said. Naruto laughed at her reaction, moving up to her to pat her head.

"Try to sell that when you learn how to hide those magazines you have Tsunade-baa-chan buy you," he said. Seramu flushed bright red, her face and hair becoming the same color.

She had inherited Kushina's temper as well, luckily it was hard for him to be cowed by his own daughter. Unfortunately, Seramu had one advantage. A very, very doting mother.

Sara flicked her finger at his ear, making him flinch back and hiss in pain. "No bullying, I'm going to make breakfast and want this floor to remain standing here."

Naruto nodded, giving his wife a kiss and a quick hug before grabbing his daughter by the legs and dragging her towards the bathroom.

"Don't come out until you're clean," he ordered. Seramu grumbled, defiantly rolling into the room and towards the shower. He closed the door behind her.

It has been twelve years since their wedding. Thirteen years since he's come here. In the absence of war, the nations have grown closer, and Naruto could see the glimmer of hope in everyone's eyes.

In the wall hung an ornate cloth from Iwa, and an CD from Kumo, signed by the Fourth Raikage's own brother. They hung there, next to the gifts from the other villages, congratulating them on their wedding.

He walked down the stairs to the kitchen, watching Sara prepare breakfast with a smile on her lips. Sneaking up on her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kept watching, his chin on her shoulders.

"You smell so good," he said. She didn't say anything, humming as she kept cooking. "We need to take a vacation, just the two of us."

"If we leave that girl alone, we're not coming back to a home," Sara reminded him. He smiled.

"Houses can be rebuilt," he said. She laughed.

Naruto felt at peace.

##################################### FIN

 **AN: This fic was never meant to be 'long'. It wasn't meant to be this action and adventure filled fic that reaches 100k words and then dies because people have absolutely no perspective of scale. It wasn't going to be that long-winded romance that has 50 chapters until they first held hands, or the fast-paced first chapter love and marriage that seems to be so popular. The fights are where they're necessary, the action could've done with less 'screentime' so to speak. I was aiming for 'catharsis'. I'd like to think I succeeded. I _am_ planning to pick up ssomething else soon. The current ideas are a more long-winded and plot-focused Naruto/Fuu fic or a more personal fic inspired by Amaama to Inazuma, in which Naruto as a single-parent has to deal with both the grief of losing his wife and his lack of domestic ability while he is taught to cook by one of his students (this would likely be a DxD crossover, said student would be Akeno). Whichever the case, if you throw me a follow you'll get an alert on whenever I post either of those. I'm not going to make it a poll, but I wouldn't mind some input on what people would like to see, and why they'd like to see it.**

Have a nice day.


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